Settler Colonialism and Health Inequities: Contextualizing Religion and HIV among Transgender Women in the Philippines

The health inequities faced by transgender individuals in the Philippines are deeply intertwined with the historical impacts of colonization on Philippine society. This study examines the association between religiosity, socio-demographic factors, and HIV status among Filipinx transgender women using an abolitionist framework. Quantitative data were collected between June 2018 and May 2019 through a cross-sectional survey conducted in Manila and Cebu. Data analysis involved multinomial regression to assess the relationship between religiosity and HIV status. Religious affiliation was significantly associated with HIV status (p = 0.011), with non-Catholic respondents more likely to report being HIV positive compared to Catholics (Adjusted RRR = 9.835, 95% CI: 1.13, 61.72, p = 0.038). Age, location, education level, and past year income were also significantly associated with HIV status. No significant associations were found between religiosity belief or practice and HIV status. There is a need for a nuanced understanding of the intersection between religion and health, considering not only protective aspects of religiosity but also potential negative impacts, such as historical trauma, social exclusion, or rejection from religious communities. By contextualizing religiosity within a historical framework of colonization, this study sheds light on the nuanced intersections of religion, culture, and health, providing valuable insights for developing targeted interventions to address HIV inequities among transgender communities.