DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH HIV-RELATED KNOWLEDGE AMONG TRANSGENDER ADULT: EVIDENCE FROM MALAYSIA

Abstract

The incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a major public health concern. Knowledge is a protective factor for the spread of HIV. However, there remains a lack of research exploring sociodemographic determinants of HIV knowledge among transgender adults. The objective of this study is to examine the influences of demographic factors on HIV-related knowledge based on a dataset of transgender adults. Cross-sectional data derived from the Integrated Biological and Behavioral Surveillance Survey (IBBS) 2017 (n = 888) were utilised. HIV-related knowledge was used as the outcome variable comprising three categories: poor, moderate and high knowledge. The independent impacts of age, income categories, education levels, ethnic groups and employment status on levels of HIV-related knowledge were assessed using ordered probit regression. Findings from this study revealed that a large proportion of transgender adults possessed high knowledge about HIV. Older transgender adults were more probable to possess high knowledge related to HIV compared to younger ones. The likelihood of acquiring poor knowledge surrounding HIV was lower in transgender adults earning incomes of Ringgit Malaysia (RM) ≥2000 per month compared to those making less than RM 499. Transgender adults had a higher likelihood of possessing high knowledge about HIV if they attained a tertiary academic qualification. Age, income and education are seen as key contributing factors of HIV-related knowledge in the transgender adult population. Particularly, transgender adults having poor HIV-related knowledge tend to be in younger age groups, be low-income earners and have a low educational background. Intervention measures aimed at safeguarding people from transmitting HIV should therefore pay special attention to transgender people’s demographic traits. The suggested policies include use of social apps to disseminate HIV-related information, improving accessibility of educational resources in low-income transgender people, and advertising the risk of HIV in the mass media.