Lifetime sexual violence among transgender women and travestis (TGW) in Brazil: Prevalence and associated factors

Abstract

Objective: To describe the prevalence, characteristics, and factors associated with sexual violence in transgender women and travestis (TGW) in Brazil. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in five Brazilian cities (Campo Grande, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Salvador, and São Paulo) between 2019 and 2021. Participants were recruited using the respondent-driven sampling (RDS) technique. The outcome of interest is the self-reported experience of sexual violence throughout the respondents’ lifetime. We evaluated the actions taken by victims of sexual violence and how they dealt with the experience. Poisson regression model was employed to examine the associations between sociodemographic and behavioral factors (such as race, income, drug use, sex work, and access to healthcare) and the outcome. Results: A total of 1,317 TGW were interviewed. Among them, 53% (n=698) reported experiencing sexual violence. For 64.4% (n=419) of the respondents, sexual violence occurred on more than one occasion. The majority of TGW did not seek health services (93.2%, n=648), disclose the violence (93.9%, n=653), nor seek support from family or friends (86.5%, n=601). A higher prevalence of sexual violence was associated with homelessness (adjusted prevalence ratio — aPR=1.69, 95% confidence interval — 95%CI 1.01– 2.84), a history of engaging in sex work (aPR=2.04, 95%CI 1.46–2.85), self-reporting regular, bad, or very bad emotional health (aPR=1.67, 95%CI 1.28–2.19), and experiencing difficulties accessing health services in the previous year (aPR=2.78, 95%CI 1.74–4.43). Conclusion: The high prevalence of sexual violence, analyzed together with the actions of the victims, indicates a context of high vulnerability and low institutional support. In this scenario, violence can be exacerbated, resulting in severe health consequences.