ArticleBMC public health2023
A comparative study of transgender women accessing HIV testing via face-to-face and telemedicine services in Chiang Mai, Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic and their risk of being HIV-positive.
Article in BMC public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of Digital Health Interventions to Promote Safer Sex Behaviors Among Youth: Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- Telehealth for Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare: Evidence Map of Effectiveness, Patient and Provider Experiences and Preferences, and Patient Engagement Strategies.Clinics and practice · 2026Review
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDue to the restricted availability of health services in Thailand, there are still some transgender women (TGW) who do not have access to HIV counseling and testing. Telehealth, which is accessible to individuals who are reluctant to undergo face-to-face interviewing, played an especially important role during the COVID-19 epidemic. The objectives of this study are to compare the characteristics, pattern of accessing HIV testing, and the HIV-positive rates of TGW between the face-to-face and telemedicine services.
methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study to compare the access to HIV testing and the HIV-positive rates among TGW via face-to-face service and telemedicine services and examined the influence of potential associated factors on the risk of being HIV-positive.
resultsOf the 637 TGW participants, 26 (4.1%) were HIV-positive. Accessing the telemedicine service increased in the third and fourth COVID-19 waves (28.1% in the first and second vs. 71.9% in the third and fourth). There was no difference in the risk of being HIV-positive between the types of service. Having sex work experience (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 5.92; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.57-22.30) and either never having been or tested more than 1 year ago were independently significantly associated with a higher risk of being HIV-positive (aOR = 4.05; 95% CI: 1.11-14.77).
conclusionThe telemedicine service became more popular among TGW during the COVID-19 pandemic and was not related to a higher risk of being HIV-positive. Moreover, it proved to be an effective alternative channel to access HIV testing, especially for intravenous drug users. Sex work experience and irregular HIV testing are key risk factors for HIV infection in TGW seeking either the telemedicine or face-to-face service.
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