Project 460883

Black and Latina transgender women are disproportionately impacted by HIV and poor mental health (e.g., depression and suicide). A growing body of research demonstrates that experiencing stigma related to who we are as people plays a major role in our mental health-and even in HIV care outcomes, like medication adherence and viral suppression. Black and Latina transgender women living with HIV (TWLHIV) often face multiple sources of stigma based on their identities (e.g., transphobia and HIV stigma)-together called intersectional stigma. Marginalized groups like TWLHIV have learned ways to cope with intersectional stigma by harnessing internal strengths and interpersonal and community supports-called resilient coping. How Black and Latina TWLHIV enact resilient coping in response to intersectional stigma and thus promote and protect their own mental health, is poorly understood. The proposed research is situated within a larger biopsychosocial study exploring relationships between stigma and mental health among Black and Latina TWLHIV. This study will use quantitative and qualitative methods to explore how Black and Latina TWLHIV experience and cope with intersectional stigma over time, and how these experiences impact mental health. By understanding how Black and Latina TWLHIV manage and respond to stigma in their daily lives, we can build more effective health interventions for this and other gender minority populations, that move beyond an adversity focus and instead are grounded in community strengths.