Lush has fallen

[WomanBornNotWorn]

One more shop to walk past

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Just FYI, there are people from all over the world posting here, so they may not be referring to just the situation in the UK. My being cagey about my location isn't aimed at you, HIVpos, it's just that Mumsnet is watched constantly by some rather unpleasant people and has been since the Jeffrey days and Fathers for Justice doing their Batman thing, so it's wise not to reveal too many identifying details.

Great link from Avert, explaining it well, and how it is not just about transgender people choosing to go the route of sex work. It is all about the context and reasons why, which include stigma and discrimination. Yes they are disproportionately affected, as are gay black African men

The word "just" is doing rather a lot of heavy lifting in the sentence.

^HIV rates are rising among middle-aged women in England because of unprotected sex, according to researchers.

A study found the number of women aged between 45 and 56 who needed HIV treatment is five times higher than it was a decade ago.^

I didn’t mean overall numbers (as overall numbers have dropped since peak) - but it is rising in some groups (including children) - and countries.

'choosing to go the route of sex work.'

Another interesting turn of phrase.

Womanhood is a 'right' that women should not try to police.
Sex work is a choice.

Just the little things.

^HIV rates are rising among middle-aged women in England because of unprotected sex, according to researchers.

A study found the number of women aged between 45 and 56 who needed HIV treatment is five times higher than it was a decade ago.^

This will be referring to the The PRIME study (Positive Transitions Through the Menopause), which is one of the largest studies of HIV and ageing in women globally.

Again, it needs to be read in context. For a start, the study addresses women in this age group seeking treatment, not new infections.

So, numbers are rising...due to what? We know that it might be due to increasing numbers of women coming out of marriage, lack of awareness or knowledge around the risks of contracting HIV. This is a group that is often left out of HIV prevention, education and research.

Here’s another thing..nowadays due the the great effective treatment HIV+ people are expected to live a normal lifespan, so of course they are going to get older and women are going to join the wonderful world of menopause, hence the reason for this study.

It’s not just due to new infections or having unprotected sex - there’s more to it. We’re living longer 😀

FWIW, now you’ve brought this study up, there’s about 8,000 people in the UK living unknowingly with HIV, so if anyone’s starting a new relationship, never been tested, been cheated on etc, please get tested for all STIs!

HIVpos

You said

As for citing just prostitution as being the reason...ouch... really? No other reasons for it?! Please explain further.

And then said

Great link from Avert, explaining it well, and how it is not just about transgender people choosing to go the route of sex work

So I'm a bit confused. If the high rates for tw aren't to do with prostitution, what else is it?

Datun, the article has 4 sections giving reasons why transgender people are at higher risk of contracting HIV. One section is to do with sex work, and three sections give other reasons why this happens. My point is, it is not solely to do with sex work, and somewhat misleading to infer it is.

Thanks HIVpos

I've had a skim but I can't see the section to which you're referring. I've searched on transwomen, but it also doesn't take me to the bit you're pointing out.

Would you mind just steering me in the general direction, so I can swot up.

Oh, I'm looking at the THT link. Perhaps I'm looking at the wrong one?

I think HIVPos is talking about this link Datun - which lists other causes as well as prostitution: www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-social-issues/key-affected-populations/transgender

I suspect Datun may want HIVPos to explain how one would unentangle the other stuff from the prostitution, given that for example feeling unempowered to insist on condom usage is going to result in significantly higher risk if one is in prostitution than if one is not and thus has a much smaller number of sexual contacts.

I thought HIVpos said it wasn't about prostitution. Not, necessarily, how that prostitution is enacted.

I’m not sure how to explain it better than I have already. The avert link is good compared to others eg from CDC, WHO, NAT etc in that it lays it out clearly, giving different reasons that someone who is transgender might contract HIV.

Of course there will be some overlap (stigma and discrimination figure prominently) but it shouldn’t be assumed that because a transgender person contracts HIV that it is due to being a sex worker. HIV is also caught outside of sex work.

I have never said that transgender people don’t contract HIV via sex work, or that they are in a high risk category.

If all the different reasons could be disentangled, I’m sure they would have been by organisations way more knowledgeable than me, and it is well recognised that there is a paucity of data in this area.

or that they are not in a high risk category