National survey Trans&HIV
National survey on the pathways and living conditions of HIV-positive trans people in France
Last updated on 17 July 2026
Why a study of trans people living with HIV?
In France, the health and social situation of trans people remains little discussed and poorly documented. The lack of accurate data contributes to their invisibility and stigmatisation. Trans people living with HIV face multiple forms of discrimination, linked to their gender identity but also to their HIV status, despite advances in HIV prevention and care.
The aim of the Trans&HIV study is to identify the personal and social vulnerabilities of trans people living with HIV, the obstacles to their medical care and their health needs.
Presentation of the Trans&HIV study
This is a national survey, conducted exhaustively among trans people living with HIV and being monitored by HIV services in France.
People eligible for the survey had to :
- define themselves in a gender other than that assigned to them at birth
- living with HIV
- be over 18
- be treated in hospitals in mainland France
- agree to take part in the survey
This project, which was set up under the Trans&HIV ANRS 95040 initiation contract, is a community-based research project involving people from the communities at all stages. Two strands were envisaged: a quantitative strand to gather socio-behavioural, retrospective biographical and medical data from trans women living with HIV (n=762), and a qualitative strand to gather information from HIV-positive men (n=13).
This survey will enable us to improve our knowledge of trans people living with HIV, particularly in terms of the biographical events that encourage the acquisition of HIV, hepatitis and other STIs. An assessment of the burden of stigma and discrimination, whether in the public arena, in hospitals or in the workplace, will also be carried out. An analysis of the social and psycho-social factors involved in accessing and remaining in care will also be carried out
In brief
Investigator
Bruno SPIRE
Structure/teams:
ACCEPTESS T: RINCON Giovanna
AIDES: MICHELS David
Inserm UMR 1137 : YAZDANPANAH Yazdan
APHP -Ambroise Paré: ROUVEIX Elisabeth
CEPED : PANNETIER Julie
Pathology
HIV
Status
Collecte de données terminées – Analyses en cours
Two young researchers are also receiving support as part of the Trans&HIV study:
- Raymond Van Huizen, a PhD student at the Unit for Health Economics and Social Sciences & Medical Information Processing (SESSTIM) at Aix–Marseille University, IRD and Inserm, for his PhD thesis ‘The social, structural, and interventional aspects of the mental health of transgender women living with HIV: a community-based and intersectional approach’, funded by the École des hautes études en santé publique’s Doctoral Network in Public Health for 2023–2026;
- Margot Annequin, a postdoctoral researcher at SESSTIM, for her project ‘Crossing gender and national borders: what are the impacts on the social circumstances and health of trans women living with HIV in France?’
Latest news on the Trans&HIV project
Data collection was completed in July 2022. Initial findings have been published, and further analyses are currently underway.
First community feedback session on the Trans&HIV findings
An initial community feedback session on the results of the Trans&HIV survey took place in Paris on 26 and 27 May 2026, led by PhD student Raymond Van Huizen and postdoctoral researcher Margot Annequin.
The feedback workshops for trans women living with HIV were organised over two half–days in two different languages. The French-language session took place on Tuesday 26 May with around ten participants. It consisted of a two-hour presentation and discussion of the survey results, as well as a focus group involving seven people. The Spanish-language session took place on Wednesday 27 May, with around thirty participants attending the feedback session and two focus groups.
“Generally speaking, the participants were very interested and engaged in the presentations: they discussed our findings at length, as these corresponded perfectly with their own experiences. The focus groups also went very well; the discussions were lively and led to insightful and relevant suggestions. An analysis is currently underway. We are really very pleased with how these sessions went, and this is already a significant milestone in the community-led dissemination of the results” said the project team following the session.
Latest publications
Here are the scientific publications and presentations relating to the results of the Trans&HIV project:
Scientific publications
Annequin, M., Mora, M., Van Huizen, R., Faye, A., Fiorentino, M., Protière, C., Bourrelly, M., Maradan, G., Berenger, C., Michard, F., Yazdanpanah, Y., Freire Maresca, A., Rouveix, E., Bahlan, L., Costa, M., Michels, D., Blanquart, L., Rincon, G., Spire, B., & and the ANRS-Trans&HIV study group. (2025a). Structural factors associated with viral suppression among transgender women with HIV in France. AIDS, 39(15), 2274 2285. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAD.0000000000004337
Balhan, L., Annequin, M., Faye, A., Mora, M., Van Huizen, R., Fiorentino, M., Protière, C., Bourrelly, M., Maradan, G., Berenger, C., Michard, F., Yazdanpanah, Y., Freire Maresca, A., Rouveix, E., Costa, M., Michels, D., Blanquart, L., Rincon, G., Spire, B., & Groupe ANRS-Trans&VIH. (2025). Qui sont les Femmes Transgenres Vivant avec le VIH en France ? Caractéristiques sociodémographiques, de transition et de prise en charge. Résultats de l’enquête ANRS-TRANS&VIH. Bulletin Epidémiologique hebdomadaire, 19 20, 364 372.
Mora M, Rincon G, Bourrelly M, Maradan G, Freire Maresca A, Michard F, Rouveix E, Pannetier J, Leriche D, Alain T, Yazdanpanah Y, Michels D, Spire B. Living conditions, HIV and gender affirmation care pathways of transgender people living with HIV in France: a nationwide, comprehensive, cross-sectional, community-based research protocol (ANRS Trans&HIV). BMJ Open. 2021 Dec 16;11(12):e052691. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052691. PMID: 34916316; PMCID: PMC8679115.
Van Huizen, R., Annequin, M., Mora, M., Faye, A., Fiorentino, M., Bourrelly, M., Maradan, G., Berenger, C., Michard, F., Yazdanpanah, Y., Freire Maresca, A., Rouveix, E., Cuenot, L., Balhan, L., Costa, M., Michels, D., Blanquart, L., Rincon, G., Protiere, C., … the ANRS-Trans&HIV study group. (2025). Socioeconomic marginalization, social exclusion, and engagement in transactional sex among transgender women living with HIV : The role of multidimensional gender affirmation. AIDS Care, 1 18. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2025.2560094
Van Huizen, R., Annequin, M., Mora, M., Faye, A., Fiorentino, M., Bourrelly, M., Maradan, G., Berenger, C., Michard, F., Yazdanpanah, Y., Maresca, A. F., Rouveix, E., Balhan, L., Costa, M., Michels, D., Blanquart, L., Rincon, G., Spire, B., Protiere, C., & and the ANRS-Trans&HIV study group. (2026). Beyond the Individual : The Weight of Social and Structural Determinants of Depression Among Transgender Women Living with HIV in France (ANRS-Trans&HIV). AIDS and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-026-05176-5
Communications
- Présentations
Annequin, M., Blanquart, L., & and the ANRS-Trans&HIV study group. (2023). Premiers résultats de l’enquête Trans&VIH [Oral Presentation]. Complication & comorbidités, Saint-Malo, France.
Annequin, M., Mora, M., Van Huizen, R., Faye, A., Fiorentino, M., Protière, C., Bourrelly, M., Maradan, G., Berenger, C., Michard, F., Yazdanpanah, Y., Freire Maresca, A., Rouveix, E., Costa, M., Michels, D., Blanquart, L., Rincon, G., Spire, B., & ANRS-Trans&HIV Study group. (2026, juillet). Life-course trajectories of migration, transgender visibility, and transactional sex involvement in relation to HIV diagnosis among transgender women living with HIV in France (ANRS-Trans&HIV) [Oral Presentation]. AIDS 2026, the 26th International AIDS Conference, Rio de Janeiro.
Annequin, M., Rincon, G., & and the ANRS-Trans&HIV study group. (2023, décembre 8). Trajectoires autour du diagnostic VIH parmi les femmes trans vivant avec le VIH Enquête ANRS-Trans&HIV [Oral Presentation]. 24ème congrès de la Société française de lutte contre le VIH, Tours, France.
Annequin, M., Rincon, G., & and the ANRS-Trans&HIV study group. (2025, novembre 26). Enquête ANRS-Trans&VIH – De la recherche à l’amélioration des conditions de vie des femmes trans vivant avec le VIH [Oral Presentation]. 24ème congrès de la Société française de lutte contre le VIH, Montpellier, France.
Blanquart, L., Annequin, M., Mora, M., Van Huizen, R., Faye, A., Fiorentino, M., Protière, C., Bourrelly, M., Maradan, G., Berenger, C., Michard, F., Yazdanpanah, Y., Freire Maresca, A., Rouveix, E., Bahlan, L., Costa, M., Michels, D., Rincon, G., Spire, B., & and the ANRS-Trans&HIV study group. (2023, juin 12). Migration trajectories around HIV diagnosis in transgender women living with HIV in France,ANRS-Trans&VIH a nationwide retrospective life-event survey [Oral Presentation]. AIDS Impact, Stockholm, Sweden.
Fiorentino, M., & study group, A.-T. (2025, juillet 17). Exposure to violence among transgender women living with HIV in France, engaged or not in sex work : Results from the national ANRS-14056 TRANS&VIH study [Oral Presentation]. 13th IAS Conference on HIV Science, Kigali, Rwanda. https://programme.ias2025.org/Abstract/Abstract/?abstractid=1590
Van Huizen, R., Annequin, M., Mora, M., Faye, A., Fiorentino, M., Bourrelly, M., Maradan, G., Berenger, C., Michard, F., Yazdanpanah, Y., Freire Maresca, A., Rouveix, E., Cuenot, L., Balhan, L., Costa, M., Michels, D., Blanquart, L., Rincon, G., Protière, C., … ANRS-Trans&HIV Study group. (2025, octobre 15). Multidimensional gender affirmation among transgender women living with HIV: an indicator of engaging in transactional sex? [Oral Presentation]. 20th European AIDS Conference (EACS), Paris, France.
Van Huizen, R., Annequin, M., Mora, M., Faye, A., Fiorentino, M., Bourrelly, M., Maradan, G., Berenger, C., Michard, F., Yazdanpanah, Y., Freire Maresca, A., Rouveix, E., Balhan, L., Costa, M., Michels, D., Blanquart, L., Rincon, G., Protiere, C., Spire, B., the ANRS-Trans&HIV study group. Au-delà de l’individu : le poids des déterminants sociaux et structurels de la dépression chez les femmes transgenres vivant avec le VIH en France (ANRS-Trans&VIH). AFRAVIH 2026 (Lausanne, Suisse), mai 2026 (à venir). Communication orale.
Van Huizen, R., Alameddine, R., Arias, O., Chbat, M., Militzer, R., Pignedoli, C., Tsague, L. Frontières multiples : formes de soins, de mobilisation et de solidarité auprès des personnes LGBTQ+ racisées et migrantes. CBRC 2025 Summit (Montreal, Canada), novembre 2025. Table ronde.
Van Huizen, R., Annequin, M., Mora, M., Faye, A., Fiorentino, M., Bourrelly, M., Maradan, G., Berenger, C., Michard, F., Yazdanpanah, Y., Freire Maresca, A., Rouveix, E., Balhan, L., Costa, M., Michels, D., Blanquart, L., Rincon, G., Protiere, C., Spire, B., the ANRS-Trans&HIV study group. Depression and the Social-Ecological Model: Identifying the driving factors among transgender women living with HIV. AIDSImpact (Casablanca, Maroc), mai 2025. Communication orale.
Van Huizen, R. et Annequin, M. L’étude ANRS-Trans&VIH : les résultats émergents sur les personnes trans vivant avec le VIH. Santé des personnes LGBTI+ à Marseille : de la recherche à l’action (Marseille, France), mai 2025. Table ronde.
- Posters
Annequin, M., Mora, M., Van Huizen, R., Faye, A., Fiorentino, M., Protière, C., Bourrelly, M., Maradan, G., Berenger, C., Michard, F., Yazdanpanah, Y., Freire Maresca, A., Rouveix, E., Bahlan, L., Costa, M., Michels, D., Blanquart, L., Rincon, G., Spire, B., & and the ANRS-Trans&HIV study group. (2025b, octobre 15). Structural factors associated with viral suppression among transgender women with HIV in France [Oral Poster]. 20th European AIDS Conference (EACS), Paris, France.
Bertin, C., Faye, A., Annequin, M., Mora, M., Freire Maresca, A., Michard, F., Van Huizen, R., Bourrelly, M., Sagaon Teyssier, L., Blanquart, L., Rincon, G., Costa, M., Michels, D., Mosnier, E., Spire, B. Prevalence and complications from gender-affirming biomaterial injections among trans women living with HIV in France: a national cross-sectional study. AIDS 2026 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), juillet 2026 (à venir). Poster affiché.
Van Huizen, R., Annequin, M., Mora, M., Faye, A., Fiorentino, M., Bourrelly, M., Maradan, G., Berenger, C., Michard, F., Yazdanpanah, Y., Freire Maresca, A., Rouveix, E., Costa, M., Michels, D., Blanquart, L., Rincon, G., Protiere, C., Spire, B. Identifying a high-risk period for suicide attempts among transgender women living with HIV (ANRS-Trans&HIV). AIDS 2026 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), juillet 2026 (à venir). Poster affiché.
Van Huizen, R., Annequin, M., Mora, M., Faye, A., Fiorentino, M., Bourrelly, M., Maradan, G., Berenger, C., Michard, F., Yazdanpanah, Y., Freire Maresca, A., Rouveix, E., Costa, M., Michels, D., Blanquart, L., Rincon, G., Protiere, C., Spire, B. Violence, housing instability, and undocumented status: social adversity and suicide attempts among transgender women living with HIV (ANRS-Trans&HIV). AIDS 2026 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), juillet 2026 (à venir). Poster affiché.
Van Huizen, R., Annequin, M., Mora, M., Faye, A., Fiorentino, M., Bourrelly, M., Maradan, G., Berenger, C., Michard, F., Yazdanpanah, Y., Freire Maresca, A., Rouveix, E., Cuenot, L., Balhan, L., Costa, M., Michels, D., Blanquart, L., Rincon, G., Protiere, C., Spire, B., the ANRS-Trans&HIV study group. Marginalisation socioéconomique, exclusion sociale, et sexe transactionnel chez les femmes transgenres vivant avec le VIH : le rôle de l’affirmation de genre multidimensionnelle. AFRAVIH 2026 (Lausanne, Suisse), mai 2026 (à venir). Poster affiché.
Van Huizen, R., Annequin, M., Mora, M., Faye, A., Fiorentino, M., Bourrelly, M., Maradan, G., Berenger, C., Michard, F., Yazdanpanah, Y., Freire Maresca, A., Rouveix, E., Balhan, L., Costa, M., Michels, D., Blanquart, L., Rincon, G., Protiere, C., Spire, B., the ANRS-Trans&HIV study group. Socio-economic vulnerability, isolation, violence, and discrimination: depression severity and associated factors among transgender women living with HIV (ANRS-Trans&VIH). AIDS 2024 (Munich, Allemagne), juillet 2024. Poster affiché.
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