(CNSNews.com) – The federal government is spending $355,825 in taxpayer dollars to develop a “culturally relevant stigma-reducing intervention” program for the transgender population in India.
The National Institutes of Health issued a two-phase grant to the Ohio-based Baldwin-Wallace College to conduct the study. The first phase cost $173,221. The second phase cost $182,604.
The reason given for the study is “HIV prevalence is disproportionately high among Male-to-female transgenders (Hijra) in India.”
“Stigma among health care providers limits HIV testing, treatment and care and creates a barrier to HIV protective behavior,” the project summary says.
“Stigmatization of transgender by healthcare providers has been documented, and is identified as a significant barrier to effective HIV prevention responses among this marginalized, at-risk population in India. However, evidence based interventions to reduce stigma and discrimination among health care providers are seriously lacking.”
The title of the study is “Project Shakti: Stigma Reduction, Health Care Provider Awareness and Knowledge.”
Read more: cnsnews.com
