HIV Risk and Access to Health Care among Mexican Migrants

Principal Investigator: Ana P. Martínez-Donate

This binational study investigates the prevalence and determinants of HIV infection and related risk practices among Mexican migrant and immigrants (MMIs) who travel through the San Diego – Tijuana border region. This region concentrates about 37% of the migrant flow traveling through the US-Mexico border and represents the natural crossing port between Mexico and California. A cross-sectional, multi-stage probability survey on HIV and migration is being conducted at key migrant crossing sites in the border city of Tijuana (Baja California, Mexico). MMIs (N=3,000) representing four distinct subpopulations at different stages of the migration experience will be tested for HIV infection and surveyed on HIV-related practices and theoretical determinants. Following the Behavioral Ecological Model, the role of demographic, geographic, economic, social, and psychosocial factors on HIV risk practices and the changes in these factors associated with different contexts and stages of the migration process will be examined. In addition, a pilot survey (N=300) on health care access and utilization will be conducted to test the feasibility of applying the same survey methods to the study of this and other migrant health areas.
Key words: HIV/AIDS; risk behaviors; health care access; migration; Mexicans and Mexican Americans.

Research Partners: San Diego State University; El Colegio de la Frontera Norte.
Funding source: NICHD, Grant # 1R01HD046886-01A2
Funding period: 09/13/07 – 06/30/2011