Andrea L Wirtz
Biographic Data
| ID | 1727213 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Andrea L Wirtz |
| GIVEN NAMES | Andrea L |
| FAMILY NAME | Wirtz |
| SIGNATURE | WIRTZ A L |
| AFFILIATIONS | Johns Hopkins University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2063-1534 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 58 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 28 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 58 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
“When Somebody Comes into This Country and You Are Trans on Top of That Is Like You Got… Two Strikes on You”
In the United States (U.S.), Latina transgender women (LTW) are highly burdened by HIV and are prioritized for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This study explored intersectional barriers and facilitators to PrEP uptake among LTW. Between February-November 2022, in-depth interviews were conducted with 27 LTW in the LITE Study. Participants were purposively sampled from 196 LTW in the cohort based on PrEP uptake (PrEP-naïve n = 8, PrEP-eligible an…
The Covid-19 global pandemic and allostatic load among a cohort of Black and Latina transgender women living with HIV
This exploratory study investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stress biomarkers and allostatic load for Black and Latina transgender women living with HIV (BLTWLH), as well as COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and vaccination status. LITE Plus is a longitudinal cohort study of BLTWLH designed to identify pathways linking biopsychosocial stress to HIV co-morbidities. Participants were enrolled between October 2019-June 2022. Descri…
Structural drivers of health among transgender women in the United States
Estimating Prevalence of Forced Labor in the Brick Kiln Industry in Pakistan
The impact of policy and policy communication on Covid-19 vaccination inequalities among Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Colombia
INTRODUCTION: Equitable access to vaccines for migrants and refugees is necessary to ensure their right to health and to achieve public health goals of reducing vaccine-preventable illness. Public health policies require regulatory frameworks and communication to effect uptake of effective vaccines among the target population. In Colombia, the National COVID-19 Vaccination Plan implicitly included Venezuelan refugees and migrants; however, initia…
Patterns of Polysubstance Use in Young Black and Latinx Sexual Minority Men and Transgender Women and Its Association with Sexual Partnership Factors
Background: Adult studies have demonstrated that polysubstance use increases HIV acquisition risk through increased sexual behaviors, however, few studies have examined polysubstance in young Black and Latinx sexual minority men (SMM) and transgender women (TW). Methods: We used cross-sectional data from 466 young Black and Latinx SMM and TW living in four high HIV-burden US cities enrolled in the PUSH Study, a status-neutral randomized control t…
Racial/ethnic differences in the association between transgender-related U.S. state policies and self-rated health of transgender women
The policies included in this analysis do not mitigate racism's effects on access to resources, indicating they may be less impactful for transgender women of color than White transgender women. Future research and policy advocacy efforts promoting transgender women's health must center racial equity as well as transgender people of color's priorities
Access to healthcare among transgender women living with and without HIV in the United States
Gender minority stress was associated with increased barriers to healthcare access among TW in the US, regardless of HIV status. Resilience factors did not mediate this effect. Interventions aiming to increase healthcare access among TW can be aided by efforts to mitigate drivers of gender minority stress and improve patient experiences in healthcare facilities
Preference for Long-Acting HIV Prevention Methods Among Transgender Women Vulnerable to HIV in Eastern and Southern United States
Factors associated with attendance to and completion of prenatal care visits in Colombia among urban-residing Venezuelan refugee and migrant women
Between 2015 and 2023, 7.3 million Venezuelans have been displaced globally. We aimed to assess uptake of and factors associated with prenatal care among Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Colombia. We analyzed data from a cross-sectional survey of 6,221 urban-residing adult Venezuelans who were displaced to Colombia between 2015 and 2022. Analyses were restricted to 917 women aged 18-49 years who reported at least one pregnancy and delivered in…
Effects of Race and Gender Classifications on Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk Estimates for Clinical Decision-Making in a Cohort of Black Transgender Women
Introduction: Despite their dynamic, socially constructed, and imprecise nature, both race and gender are included in common risk calculators used for clinical decision-making about statin therapy for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) prevention. Methods and Materials: We assessed the effect of manipulating six different race-gender categories on ASCVD risk scores among 90 Black transgender women. Results: Risk scores varied by opera…
Exploring U.S. Food System Workers’ Intentions to Work While Ill during the Early Covid-19 Pandemic
With "stay at home" orders in effect during early COVID-19, many United States (U.S.) food system workers attended in-person work to maintain national food supply chain operations. Anecdotally, many encountered barriers to staying home despite symptomatic COVID-19 illness. We conducted a national, cross-sectional, online survey between 31 July and 2 October 2020 among 2535 respondents. Using multivariable regression and free-text analyses, we inv…
Qualitative assessment of the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on migration, access to healthcare, and social wellbeing among Venezuelan migrants and refugees in Colombia
This study demonstrates the unique impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic among Venezuelans residing in Colombia by both compounding extant vulnerabilities and introducing new challenges, such as high rates of eviction. Colombia has enacted increasingly inclusive migration policies for Venezuelan refugees and migrants within the country; findings from this study underscore the necessity for such policies both in and outside of the Colombian context
Diverse contexts and social factors among young cisgender men and transgender women who sell or trade sex in Bangkok and Pattaya, Thailand
HIV incidence is high and persistent among cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) who have sex with men, particularly among those who sell or trade sex. In preparation for an open-label combination HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) program for these groups, we conducted formative research to explore the context of sex work/trade and factors that affect implementation of PrEP interventions. This study analyzed inte…
High acceptability of HIV self-testing in a randomized trial among transgender women and men who have sex with men, Myanmar
HIV self-testing (HIVST) shows promise to improve HIV diagnosis among those seeking privacy and anonymity in HIV testing. This may include sexual and gender diverse populations, who experience disproportionately high burdens of stigma and HIV globally. To inform potential scale-up of HIVST in Myanmar, we implemented a community-led, mixed-methods randomized trial in Yangon. Adult trans-feminine individuals and cisgender men who have sex with men …
Abuse in the Continua
Contexts of violence victimization and service-seeking among Latino/a/x immigrant adults in Maryland and the District of Columbia
In the United States (US), Latino/a/x immigrants are particularly vulnerable to discrimination and violence, which are associated with a host of negative physical and mental health consequences. Despite this, Latino/a/x immigrants may have limited access to resources and services to prevent and address its consequences. In-depth interviews (n = 17) and one focus group discussion (n = 5) were conducted among a maximum variation sample of adult Lat…
Perceived acceptability and feasibility of HIV self-testing and app-based data collection for HIV prevention research with transgender women in the United States
In the United States, transgender women are disproportionately burdened by HIV infection. Research aimed at curbing the HIV epidemic for this population may benefit from innovative technology to engage participants in research. Adult transgender women (n = 41) from six cities in the southern and eastern United States participated in seven online focus groups between August 2017 and January 2018. Analyses focused on perceived acceptability of nove…
Characterizing the PrEP Continuum for Black and Latinx Sexual and Gender Minority Youth
Perspectives of Women Living With HIV on Addressing Violence and Use of Alcohol During HIV Services
The syndemic relationship between harmful alcohol use, intimate partner violence (IPV), and HIV is well established across international settings. Less is known about how these health issues are perceived by women living with HIV (WLWH), who are disproportionately affected by these intertwined epidemics. A qualitative study was undertaken with 20 WLWH in Rakai, Uganda, to assess their perceptions of how these issues have affected their lives and …
The transgender-specific intimate partner violence scale for research and practice
Gender-Based Violence Against Transgender People in the United States
Gender-based violence (GBV) is an umbrella term for any harm that is perpetrated against a person’s will and that results from power inequalities based on gender roles. Most global estimates of GBV implicitly refer only to the experiences of cisgender, heterosexually identified women, which often comes at the exclusion of transgender and gender nonconforming (trans) populations. Those who perpetrate violence against trans populations often target…
Gaps in Science and Evidence-Based Interventions to Respond to Intimate Partner Violence Among Black Gay and Bisexual Men in the U.S
“We are not gays… don’t tell me those things”
Hidden MSM face multiple barriers to HIV testing and prevention. Strategies cognizant of concerns for anonymity and privacy, such as One-Stop Shop services and online-based health promotion, can discretely provide services appropriate for hidden MSM. Enhanced capacity of peer-service providers and mainstream health staff to identify and respond to the psychosocial challenges reported by hidden MSM in this study may further encourage service engag…
Intimate partner violence, HIV and sexually transmitted infections in fishing, trading and agrarian communities in Rakai, Uganda
Programs should target factors at multiple levels to reduce risk for syndemic conditions of HIV, STI and IPV in Rakai, Uganda particularly among men and women in fishing communities
The transgender-specific intimate partner violence scale for research and practice
Sexual Identity, Stigma, and Depression
Qualitative assessment of the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on migration, access to healthcare, and social wellbeing among Venezuelan migrants and refugees in Colombia
This study demonstrates the unique impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic among Venezuelans residing in Colombia by both compounding extant vulnerabilities and introducing new challenges, such as high rates of eviction. Colombia has enacted increasingly inclusive migration policies for Venezuelan refugees and migrants within the country; findings from this study underscore the necessity for such policies both in and outside of the Colombian context
Contexts of violence victimization and service-seeking among Latino/a/x immigrant adults in Maryland and the District of Columbia
In the United States (US), Latino/a/x immigrants are particularly vulnerable to discrimination and violence, which are associated with a host of negative physical and mental health consequences. Despite this, Latino/a/x immigrants may have limited access to resources and services to prevent and address its consequences. In-depth interviews (n = 17) and one focus group discussion (n = 5) were conducted among a maximum variation sample of adult Lat…
Gaps in Science and Evidence-Based Interventions to Respond to Intimate Partner Violence Among Black Gay and Bisexual Men in the U.S
Young Clients of Hotel-Based Sex Workers in Bangladesh
A qualitative study was conducted among key informants and 53 young clients (15 to 24 years of age) of commercial sex workers from nine hotels in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Respondents reported first sexual encounter before 18 years of age, and reasons for purchasing sex were to prove masculinity or to reduce wet dreams and masturbation, thought to be detrimental to health. Limited knowledge of HIV and sexually transmitted infections was linked to high-r…
Community-based assessment of human rights in a complex humanitarian emergency
Basic needs of many cyclone survivors in the Irrawaddy Delta remained unmet over a year following Cyclone Nargis. Official impediments to delivery of aid to storm survivors continued, including human rights abrogations experienced by civilians during reconstruction efforts. Such issues remain unaddressed in official assessments conducted in partnership with the SPDC. Private, community-based relief organizations like EAT are well positioned and a…
Stigma, Health Care Access, and HIV Knowledge Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Malawi, Namibia, and Botswana
Global epidemiology of HIV infection in men who have sex with men
Burden of HIV among female sex workers in low-income and middle-income countries
Worldwide burden of HIV in transgender women
The increase in global HIV epidemics in MSM
Epidemics of HIV in MSM continue to expand in most low, middle, and upper income countries in 2013 and rates of new infection have been consistently high among young MSM. Current prevention and treatment strategies are insufficient for this next wave of HIV spread. We conducted a series of comprehensive reviews of HIV prevalence and incidence, risks for HIV, prevention and care, stigma and discrimination, and policy and advocacy options. The high…
The Global HIV Epidemics among Sex Workers
Since the beginning of the epidemic sex workers have experienced a heightened burden of HIV across settings, despite their higher levels of HIV protective behaviors (UNAIDS, 2009). Unfairly, sex workers have often been framed as 'vectors of disease' and 'core transmitters' rather than workers and human beings with rights in terms of HIV prevention and beyond. By gaining a deeper understanding of the epidemiologic and broader policy and social con…
Development of a screening tool to identify female survivors of gender-based violence in a humanitarian setting
Findings demonstrate that GBV persists across the span of the refugee experience, though there is a transition in the range of perpetrators and types of GBV that are experienced. Further, survivors experience significant individual and system barriers to disclosure and service utilization. The findings suggest that routine GBV screening by skilled service providers offers a strategy to confidentially identify and refer survivors to needed service…
Modified social ecological model
The MSEM is a flexible model for guiding epidemiologic studies among key populations at risk for HIV in diverse sociocultural contexts. Successful HIV prevention strategies for key populations require effective integration of evidence-based biomedical, behavioral, and structural interventions. While the focus of epidemiologic studies has traditionally been on describing individual-level risk factors, the future necessitates comprehensive epidemio…
Female Sex Workers in Three Cities in Russia
The Prevalence of Sexual Violence among Female Refugees in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies
IMPORTANCE: Refugees and internally displaced persons are highly vulnerable to sexual violence during conflict and subsequent displacement. However, accurate estimates of the prevalence of sexual violence among in these populations remain uncertain. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of sexual violence among refugees and displaced persons in complex humanitarian emergencies. DATA SOURCE: We conducted systematic review of rele…
A qualitative assessment of health seeking practices among and provision practices for men who have sex with men in Malawi
BACKGROUND: In the context of a generalized epidemic and criminalization of homosexuality, men who have sex with men (MSM) in Malawi have a disproportionate burden of HIV compared to other adults. Past research has documented low uptake of HIV prevention and health services among MSM, self-reported fear of seeking health services, and concerns of disclosure of sexual orientation and discrimination in health settings. Qualitative research was cond…
Social and structural risks for HIV among migrant and immigrant men who have sex with men in Moscow, Russia
Moscow has a large population of immigrants and migrants from across the Former Soviet Union. Little is studied about men who have sex with men (MSM) within these groups. Qualitative research methods were used to explore identities, practices, and factors affecting HIV prevention and risks among immigrant/migrant MSM in Moscow. Nine interviews and three focus group discussions were conducted between April-June 2010 with immigrant/migrant MSM, ana…
Gender-based violence in conflict and displacement
Findings highlight the need for early identification of GBV cases, with emphasis on confidential approaches and active engagement of survivors in available, quality services. Such efforts may facilitate achievement of the goals of new Colombian laws, which seek to prevent and respond to GBV, including in conflict settings. Ongoing conflict and generalized GBV in displacement, as well as among the wider population, suggests a need to create sustai…
What has been achieved in HIV prevention, treatment and care for people who inject drugs, 2010–2012? A review of the six highest burden countries
OBJECTIVE: In 2010 the international HIV/AIDS community called on countries to take action to prevent HIV transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID). To set a baseline we proposed an "accountability matrix", focusing upon six countries accounting for half of the global population of PWID: China, Malaysia, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam and the USA. Two years on, we review progress. DESIGN: We searched peer-reviewed literature, conducted online s…
HIV risk and preventive interventions in transgender women sex workers
An action agenda for HIV and sex workers
Exploring repeat HIV testing among men who have sex with men in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Despite the high prevalence of HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) - and the general adult population - in South Africa, there is little data regarding the extent to which MSM seek repeat testing for HIV. This study explores reported histories of HIV testing, and the rationales for test seeking, among a purposive sample of 34 MSM in two urban areas of South Africa. MSM participated in activity-based in-depth interviews that included a timel…
Cross-sectional assessments of participants’ characteristics and loss to follow-up in the first Opioid Substitution Therapy Pilot Program in Kabul, Afghanistan
BACKGROUND: Kabul has over 12,000 people who inject drugs (PWID), most of them heroin users, and opioid substitution therapy has recently been introduced as an effective method to reduce opioid use. We aimed to evaluate a pilot Opioid Substitution Therapy Pilot Program (OSTPP) in Kabul, Afghanistan, particularly to (1) describe characteristics of the participants enrolled in the program and (2) identify factors associated with client retention in…
Improvement of Haart in Brazil, 1998–2008
Universal and free access to HAART has helped achieve impressive declines in AIDS mortality in Brazil. However, after a 10-years follow-up, differential AIDS-related mortality continue to exist. Efforts are needed to identify and eliminate these health disparities, therefore improving the Brazilian response towards HIV/AIDS epidemic
Alcohol Use and Associated Sexual and Substance Use Behaviors Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Moscow, Russia
Current and recent drug use intensifies sexual and structural HIV risk outcomes among female sex workers in the Russian Federation
The global response to HIV in men who have sex with men
Global burden of HIV, viral hepatitis, and tuberculosis in prisoners and detainees
Medicine (55 works) · Environmental health (35 works) · Sociology (29 works) · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions (27 works) · Family medicine (26 works) · Sex work and related issues (26 works) · Psychology (25 works) · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk (24 works) · Political science (24 works) · Population (24 works)