Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41667174›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2026

Differences in sexual risk behaviours, HIV care utilisation and experiences of stigma between transgender women and cisgender men who have sex with men: findings from integrated biobehavioural surveys in Ukraine 2013-2018.

Saher Aijaz, Peter Vickerman, Tetiana Saliuk, Jane Nicholls, David Gillespie, Kerenza Hood, Jack Stone

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Saher AijazBristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK saher.khan@bristol.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1316-359X
Peter VickermanPopulation Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Tetiana SaliukInternational Charitable Foundation "Alliance for Public Health", Kiev, Ukraine.
Jane NichollsCardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
David GillespieCollege of Biomedical & Life Sciences, Cardiff University Centre for Trials Research, Cardiff, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6934-2928
Kerenza HoodCardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Jack StonePopulation Health Sciences, University of Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo assess whether transgender women who have sex with men (TGWSM) sampled in men who have sex with men (MSM) biobehavioural surveys in Ukraine experience different levels of sexual risk, stigma, HIV prevalence and engagement in the HIV care than cisgender MSM (CMSM).

designAnalysis of secondary data from three population-level cross-sectional surveys.

settingThe analysis was conducted on data from three rounds of integrated biobehavioural surveys of MSM in 27 cities of Ukraine from 2013 to 2018.

participantsData from n=18 621 MSM with n=18 102 CMSM and n=503 TGWSM. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes were differences in sexual risk behaviours, HIV testing and treatment uptake, and the secondary outcomes were differences in lifetime experiences of stigma, coercive sex and physical assault (in the 2018 survey only) between CMSM and TGWSM.

resultsCompared with CMSM, TGWSM were more likely to be clients of non-governmental organisations (adjusted OR, aOR: 1.39, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.67), engage in commercial sex (last month; aOR: 1.28, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.61), have group sex (aOR: 1.31, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.61), more long-term sex partners (last month; adjusted incidence rate ratio: 1.14, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.27), history of imprisonment (aOR: 1.51, 95% CI 1.00 to 2.31) and engage in chemsex (last month, aOR: 1.58, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.23). We found no difference in HIV prevalence (5.17% in TGWSM vs 5.43% in CMSM, p=0.065). In 2018, more TGWSM reported lifetime experience of stigma from family and friends (aOR: 3.58, 95% CI 2.54 to 5.04), general social stigma (aOR: 3.13, 95% CI 2.22 to 4.41), anticipated healthcare stigma (aOR: 3.63, 95% CI 2.53 to 5.16), physical assault (aOR: 2.73, 95% CI 1.85 to 4.03) and coercive sex (aOR: 3.01, 95% CI 1.99 to 4.55) than CMSM.

conclusionsTGWSM in Ukraine may be at increased risk of HIV acquisition compared to CMSM due to many factors including elevated levels of stigma and violence. Services specifically tailored for transgender people are needed to help reduce these high-risk behaviours.

Indexed as

HIV InfectionsHomosexuality, MalePatient Acceptance of Health CareRisk-TakingSexual BehaviorSocial StigmaTransgender PersonsAdultChemsexCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesUkraineYoung AdultHIV & AIDSSexual and Gender MinoritiesTransgender Persons

Identifiers

PMID41667174
PMCPMC12911835

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.