On this year’s upcoming Trans Day of Remembrance, the Social Intervention Group at Columbia University School of Social Work honors the lives of transgender and nonbinary people lost to violence, systemic neglect, and inequity, while reaffirming its commitment to producing research that advances health, safety, and collective liberation for trans communities worldwide.
Today, we are proud to announce the publication of “Toward Leaving No One Behind: HIV Infection Among Trans Communities in Kazakhstan” in the International Journal of Transgender Health. This landmark study presents the first multi-city empirical data on HIV and STI prevalence among trans and nonbinary people in Kazakhstan, which remains an underrepresented region in global HIV research. Conducted by a collaborative team of researchers from SIG and the Global Health Research Center of Central Asia, the study sheds light on critical gaps in testing, care, and awareness.
Findings reveal that while most participants had tested for HIV at least once, many were unaware of their current status. One in five participants tested positive, with 79% of these infections previously unknown. By examining both known and undiagnosed cases, the study exposes a significant gap in HIV prevention—rooted not in individual neglect, but in systemic barriers to safe, trans-affirming testing and care—and underscores the urgent need for community-led approaches to health equity.
Key Findings:
- One in five participants (21%) was biologically confirmed HIV-positive, and 79% of these infections were previously undiagnosed
- Although 69% had ever tested for HIV and 32% had tested in the last six months, 37% did not know their current status, which is evidence of persistent gaps toward the UNAIDS goal that by 2030 95% of people living with HIV to know their status, 95% of those who know their status to be on antiretroviral therapy, and 95% of those on therapy to be virally suppressed (known as 95-95-95)
- Nearly half (47%) tested positive for at least one STI, and 10% have multiple concurrent STIs
- Only three of the 14 people with confirmed HIV self-reported living with HIV, and patterns differed by city, indicating the need for community-tailored, trans-affirming services
“This project reflects the collective effort of trans and cis, queer and non-queer researchers across Kazakhstan and the U.S., working in solidarity to produce research that moves trans people closer to the care we dream of,” said Kelsey G Reeder, LCSW-R, Doctoral Research Assistant at SIG and lead author of the article. “This research is not just about data. It’s about visibility, accountability, and collective liberation. Trans people in Kazakhstan and around the world deserve to be seen, counted, and cared for.”
This study is a demonstration of our strength and persistence. Trans people in Kazakhstan continue to create meaning, love, and community despite facing danger and hatred. Our survival is not just resistance—it’s brilliance.
This study reinforces what we have known for years: trans people are doing their best to survive within systems that were not built for us. As we remember those lost, this work affirms that remembrance must also mean action, ensuring that every trans life is protected, resourced, and included in public health efforts. The publication marks a critical step toward closing global HIV equity gaps by centering those most impacted and least reached by current systems. True progress against HIV will only be achieved when no one is left behind.
Read the full paper in the International Journal of Transgender Health.