About the Talk

Dr. Eileen Pitpitan will share preliminary results from a recent pilot study with transgender women in Tijuana, Mexico examining syndemics (i.e., co-occurrence of multiple, negative psychosocial health conditions) and social networks. Intervention approaches targeting social networks have been shown to be effective at improving HIV prevention and care outcomes among marginalized, stigmatized, hidden populations. However, few social network interventions have been tested with trans women. The overall goal of this pilot study is to understand the roles of social networks, social support, and resilience in impacting syndemic conditions and the HIV prevention and care continuum among transgender women at risk for or living with HIV in Tijuana.

About the Speaker

Dr. Eileen Virtusio Pitpitan is a UBC Visiting Faculty at CGSHE. She is also a Tenured Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at San Diego State University (SDSU), and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego (UCSD). Dr. Pitpitan serves as Co-Director of the Health Equity Sociobehavioral Science Core within the San Diego Center for AIDS Research (CFAR). Dr. Pitpitan is a trained social psychologist and quantitative methodologist, and has over 10 years of experience studying psycho-social and structural factors (e.g., substance use, violence, mental health, stigma) surrounding HIV among minoritized communities (incl. racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S., sexual and gender minorities, and people who use drugs). The focus of her research is on the development and evaluation of theory-driven interventions to promote equity in the HIV prevention and care continuum.