"I wouldn't be able to function without the AIDS Action Committee being a part of my life."
Jasmina's Story
Being transgender is hard. Being transgender and HIV positive is twice as hard. Just to have a place to go where you know you’re safe, you know you can be who are you are, and people respect you for being who you are—I love going to AIDS Action’s TransCEND for that.
I’m a great self advocate. Especially from my time in Connecticut. There are no trans organizations at all, there are no services there. You have to go to other programs—you learn how to find things and take care of yourself. But I come here for a different kind of support.
It’s more mental support. I have trust issues. My family doesn’t accept me. I had to move to three states and eight cities to get away from someone who was really abusive. And I got into drugs to deal with it. So being able to rely on people for help, and to ask for help, is a really big deal for me.
But the staff at TransCEND showed me I can trust them. Elizabeth is my backbone. I know I can tell her anything and she’s not going to judge me. I know she’s going to have my back. And with Bliss, I go to her with questions about hormones and doctor’s appointments and even questions about make-up. I just have this comfort level with her—I can ask her to help me get into my evening gown.
When I did the Miss Trans New England Pageant, I picked TransCEND as my platform to advocate for. I wanted to raise awareness about TransCEND and raise money for it. I was so happy that I had the chance to do that. It’s an amazing program and we need more places like this in other states and all over the country.
I believe that family doesn’t come from blood, it comes from the heart. I’ve created my own family. And TransCEND is part of it. A big part.
Transgender Women & HIV
A 2007 review of studies by the CDC found that 28% of transgender women tested for HIV had tested positive. A Boston-area survey conducted by our TransCEND program estimates that more than 1-in-3 transgender women in the area are living with HIV.
Despite these sobering statistics, little attention is paid to transgender women’s needs which fuels the epidemic among trans women, and makes it harder to fund effective programs. Legal discrimination against trans people increases their rates of homelessness, unemployment, and experience of violence, all of which contribute to HIV risk.
AIDS Action’s TransCEND program provides community-based HIV prevention and health education by and for transgender women. TransCEND staff and members look out for the most vulnerable among them—those experiencing homelessness, discrimination, and incarceration.
As a testament to their success, since 2005, a full 75% of the women connected with TransCEND are still engaged with the program.
