Transgender communities in the Asia Pacific are stepping forward in the region's response to HIV/AIDS.

For the first time, non-governmental organisations joined leading experts at an international conference to discuss the latest advances in research and advocacy for transgender and transsexual people.

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) symposium, held this week in Bangkok, also included a scientific program focusing on issues relating to transgender sexuality and health.

Transgender groups say members of their community often miss out on testing or treatment, because of stigma and discrimination.

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Joe Wong, spokesman for the Fronting Trans Movement in Singapore, told Asia Pacific that trans men are among the most neglected and invisible groups in society.

"You won't be able to see a trans-man on the street," he said.

"They evolve from being lesbians then realising they don't want to be in this female body, and then they try to go through different procedures to get their gender aligned.

"There is no existence of any HIV services available for trans-men; there's no access to prevention brochures, no access to prevention messages and there is just no healthcare providers who are sensitised enough to talk about such issues.

"There is still not much acceptance within the community that gay trans-men do exist."

Laxmi Narayan Tripathi was the first transgender person to represent Asia-Pacific in the UN General Assembly task force on HIV/AIDS. ( UNAIDS: H.Nhan )

As transgender women, Hijras have a cultural role in many parts of South Asia but they face often discrimination and violence.

Hijras are often asked to bless child births and weddings, sometimes out of fear that they might cast a spell over the occasion if they're not invited.

Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, an actress and Hijra activist says higher visibility can contribute to a more effective health response to HIV/AIDS.

"It is very useful... that for the first time, the community is involved in this quite technical group of scientists and doctors who are this WPATH," she said.

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"For me, as an activist from a country like India, from the traditional ethnic group of the transgender... the normal Hijra activity is begging, or Hijras are doing sex work.

"But the (WPATH) has opened its door and started this learning process now."

Laxmi Narayan Tripathi says although the Hijra community still faces discrimination in India, the situation is improving.

"Slowly, steadily, things are changing, like the issues of our election card - there is a bracket of 'others'.

"In our passport, we can choose our sex and in the identity card, we have 'transgender'.

"And we are promoting a non-discriminatory law, attitude of the government... Slow and steady, we are getting our rights."