Introduction:

the behavior of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus epidemics in Cuba, from the beginning and up today, mainly affects persons and groups whose sexual practices and identities are discriminated.

Objective:

to describe the situations increasing the vulnerability to Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection in men having sex with other men and transgender women.

Materials and Methods:

a descriptive study was carried out in men who have sex with other men and transgender women who assisted to places of sexual encounters located in eight municipalities of the 45 most affected ones by the epidemics of Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Cuba, from October 2013 to October 2017. The studied variables were: job, sexual behavior, social assessment, gender roles, discrimination and violence. The indicator “difference percentage” was used to assess the magnitude of the difference.

Results:

28.9 % of the participants referred that housework was done in general by the ¨bottom¨ man; meanwhile, the ¨active¨ ones take the decisions in the couple (24.0 % versus 6.3 %) and are more appreciated by the society (23.1 % versus 8.2 %), usually playing the role of economic providers (17.1 % versus. 8.8 %). 64.9 % perceived to be excluded or discriminated because of their sexual orientation or genre identity, and 32.0 % felt being discriminated in health institutions. 44.8 % referred being victim of economical violence, followed by sexual violence (44.3 %). Physical violence was referred by 32.2 %.

Conclusions:

perceived inequalities and discriminations sustain the diversity of realities and specific challenges affronted by these persons, and they could make them vulnerable to acquire the Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )