Trans Men Rising to Fight HIV

Sabrina Samone, TMP

Possibly for every tenth conversation, there is about transgender people most are directed to Trans women, and when that one rare acknowledgment by mainstream society is directed to trans men only one-tenth of those are of trans men of color and saddest of all not even a hundredth of those conversations are about trans men of color and transgender people living healthy with HIV. Achim Howard is yet one more outspoken man in our community changing that conversation as an HIV and trans activist in Washington D.C. He works hard, hitting the streets every day on behalf of people — especially black, trans men living with HIV. He states in Pulse that, “I’ve always been an advocate for others, not just the trans community. However, I became an advocate for trans men living with HIV when I became positive.”¹

Howard became positive after being sexually assaulted — so, he identifies with the #MeToo movement, a hashtag that has given a voice to the devasting number of victims of sexual assault, empowered to regain their lives. Yet he admits he faces different headwinds as a black, transgender man. Achim came forward about the assault and was advised to have his health check. He now not only had to deal with being a victim of assault but knowing that assault left him positive for HIV.

After receiving an urgent call to see his doctor, Howard went in “[the doctor] told me I didn’t have any STIs — then the thing I was most scared of next was that I might be pregnant — she told me that I wasn’t pregnant, but she said, ‘I’m sorry to tell you that you have HIV.’”

He began treatment and seeing a regular doctor at the Whitman-Walker Health Clinic in Washington, D.C. This care included a therapist, “someone I can talk to if I needed to.” He fondly recalls his first case nurse, Denna, who would check up on him every day, even on her days off.

His brother suspected something had happened to Howard by the way he was acting on a recent visit, yet Howard hadn’t reached out to him at the time. Howard did seem different, more anxious, less confident. Achim admitted, “I couldn’t sleep at night. So, to make sure I’d be able to sleep, I’d bring a bottle of wine to their house for the household, and I would have a bottle of wine, or Moscato, or Patron, and drink until I passed out.”

His brother grew concerned as time went on, and confronted him. He told his transgender brother that they were brothers and they should be able to talk about anything. “After I had that conversation with my brother, I ended up telling him I was positive — and that’s when my brother told me he was positive too,” Achim says.

Howard told of his experiences at one of the support groups at the Whitman-Walker Health Clinic called Living Well with HIV. He recalls after first being diagnosed, a guy in the group told him about the intense regimen of pills he took daily and their side effects. “He had to take 19 pills a day.” Howard confided to his brother that the experience had made him uncomfortable and that he “wasn’t going back.”

Howard’s brother asked him if they went together, would he continue going to receive treatment? Achim Howard would, and that moment would change his life and those he’d later come to help.

Together, Howard and his brother went to support groups, retreats, and conferences. “I was learning about myself. I was learning about HIV, and I was learning how to live with HIV,” he says. Though overall, these events were healing and positive, Howard noticed that they would often lump trans people and gay men together in groups, and admits “They would misgender me.”

Howard attempted to educate about transgender issues. He would explain even the simplest of the difference between a trans woman and trans man. Those early support groups he attended had been more populated by gay men and transgender women, and people that should have known better were guilty of misgendering trans men. “It was like they were missing the whole point.”

Like many, Howard is alarmed by the rate HIV transmission in the black community, trans men and seeks to do everything and anything he can to stop it. “It’s getting out of hand.”

As an activist, Howard hears the call to action, “but it’s hard because there’s limited funding and the current administration is not on any of our sides. Look at the proposed bill Trump has put out,” he says.

Howard’s dream, if he had the resources, would include awareness for trans men living with HIV — not only awareness among adults but younger people too. “I want to educate the children. Like from the get-go. There are trans men who are becoming comfortable with who they are at a young age. Educating starting as early as middle school.”

Howard thinks maybe then “we can end the rise of HIV transmission rates in my community.” He will make a difference, along with helping and educating other trans men, so that all trans men and those living with HIV will rise together. His efforts will lead Achim Howard to found, Trans Men Rising, a D.C. organization, addressing the health and support of trans men with HIV.