Objectives The objectives of the study are to 1) estimate the burden of physical, sexual, and psychological violence among migrants in transit through Mexico to the US; and 2) examine the associations between experiencing violence and sociodemographic characteristics, migratory background, and health status in this vulnerable population. Method A cross-sectional study combining qualitative and quantitative methods was carried out from 2009 to 2015 with a sample of 12,023 migrants in transit through Mexico to the US. Information on gender (male, female, and transsexual, transgender and transvestite -TTTs-); nationality; health status; migratory background; and experiences with violence was obtained. Fifty-eight migrants participated in in-depth interviews to explore any experiences of violence during their journey. A descriptive analysis was performed and a probit regression model was applied to analyze the factors associated with violence. Qualitative information was analyzed to understand experiences, meanings and responses to violence. Results The overall prevalence of suffering from any form of violence was 29.4%. Nearly 24% reported physical violence, 19.5% experienced psychological violence, and approximately 2% reported sexual violence. TTTs experienced a significantly greater burden of violence compared to men and women. Violence occurred more frequently among migrants from Central American (30.6%) and other countries (40.0%) than it did among Mexican migrants (20.5%). Experiences involving sexual, physical and psychological violence as well as theft and even kidnapping were described by interviewees. Migrants mistrust the police, migration authorities, and armed forces, and therefore commonly refrain from revealing their experiences. Conclusion Migrants are subjected to a high level of violence while in transit to the US. Those traveling under irregular migratory conditions are targets of even greater violence, a condition exacerbated by gender inequality. Migrants transiting through Mexico from Central American and other countries undergo violence more frequently than do Mexican migrants. Protective measures are urgently needed to ensure the human rights of these populations.

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Objetivo. Analizar el acceso a servicios preventivos de ITS/VIH en trabajadoras sexuales en zonas fronterizas de Centroamérica. Material y métodos. Estudio cuasi experimental en una muestra no aleatoria de 558 trabajadoras sexuales, en zonas fronterizas de Centroamérica con y sin intervenciones relacionadas con información sobre derechos humanos, comportamiento sexual, acceso a información sobre prevención/transmisión, condones, pruebas de vih, anticoncepción, atención médica y uso de condón. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo y se estimaron modelos de regresión logística para identificar factores asociados con el uso de condón. Resultados. Las trabajadoras sexuales de comunidades con intervención presentaron mayor acceso a información preventiva (99 vs 87%), condones (98 vs 75%), pruebas de VIH (89 vs 61%), anticonceptivos (74 vs 65%), servicios ginecológicos (83 vs 57%) y mayor posibilidad –3.9 (IC:1.2-12.7)– de usar condón con clientes respecto a las que no tuvieron intervención. Conclusiones. Las diferencias observadas deben considerarse en un marco relacionado con características socioculturales y de movilidad poblacional en contextos fronterizos, así como de organización de los servicios de salud.

HIV prevalence was estimated among migrants in transit through Mexico. Data were collected on 9108 Central American migrants during a cross-sectional study performed in seven migrant shelters from 2009 to 2013. Considerations focused on their sociodemographic characteristics, sexual and reproductive health, and experience with violence. Based on a sample of 46.6 % of respondents who agreed to be HIV tested, prevalence of the virus among migrants came to 0.71 %, reflecting the concentrated epidemic in their countries of origin. A descriptive analysis was performed according to gender: the distribution of the epidemic peaked at 3.45 % in the transvestite, transgender and transsexual (TTT) population, but fell to less than 1 % in men and women. This gender differential is characteristic of the epidemic in Central America. Furthermore, 23.5 % of TTTs and 5.8 % of women experienced sexual violence. The predominant impact of sexual violence on TTTs and women will influence the course of the AIDS epidemic.