Predictors of HIV Risk Among Hispanic Farm Workers in South Florida: Women Are at Higher Risk Than Men

Abstract

This study examined factors associated with being at risk of sexually acquiring HIV among a community sample of 244 Hispanic migrant and seasonal farm workers. Bilingual staff interviewed respondents anonymously at worksites, camps, and other public venues in South Florida during the 2002 winter/spring growing season. The following variables were positively associated with being at risk of sexually acquiring HIV in multivariable analyses: being female; being married; having "some" or "a lot" of knowledge about HIV transmission, having ever used marijuana, having two or more sex partners in the last 12 months, and having had a sexually transmitted infection. The findings heighten the importance of recognizing women's elevated risk of HIV infection and conducting further studies to examine the factors associated with this increased risk. The study is an important first step toward developing tailored HIV prevention interventions for this at-risk, understudied population.

STI/HIV Risks for Mexican Migrant Laborers: Exploratory Ethnographies

“…5 Due to their undocumented status and hidden nature, the study population has traditionally remained off the radar screen of health departments, hospitals, and other sources of health indicators. Data on migrant workers presented in this paper come from the works of several researchers (4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14), fact sheets compiled by the National Center for Farmworker Health (15), and an investigative report published by the Palm Beach Post (16).…”

“…MFWs in particular, are likely to experience rashes and respiratory illnesses from pesticides, back pains from stooping for long hours (e.g., strawberry pickers), heat exhaustion from sun exposure, badly injured or amputated limbs from machinery accidents, tuberculosis from sharing crowded living quarters, as well as chronic problems such as athlete's foot (acquired from community showers). MFWs, dramatically overrepresented by males detached from families, wives, or other partners, are susceptible to social isolation, stress, anxiety, loneliness, depression, and boredom, often-times leading to alcohol and drug abuse as well as risky sexual behaviors involving sexworkers, same sex partners, and/or multiple partners (11). Migrants' precarious legal status and limited English proficiency curtail their access to social services and limit their ability to obtain health care.…”

“…In fact, particularly because their living and working conditions render them highly vulnerable, the connection between Latino migrant labor and the spread of STIs/HIV has become the focus of increased research attention (4, 11-13, 17, 18). Studies have attributed infection risks to a convergence of behavioral, sociodemographic, and environmental factors (11). At the individual level, safer sex practices are affected by traditional cultural beliefs and attitudes regarding gender roles, sexual behaviors, and condom use and are weakened by either dangerous misconceptions or simple ignorance about STIs/HIV (15).…”

Life in the big city: The multiple vulnerabilities of migrant Cambodian garment factory workers to HIV

“…Limited access to health care has been a problem for Hispanic farm workers in Florida as over 90% lack health insurance (Fernandez et al, 2004). Hong Kong migrant domestic workers also experienced health care access issues as they described episodes of discrimination and breaches of confidentiality at Hong Kong hospitals (Bandyopadhyay & Thomas, 2002).…”

“…There are a number of other examples of migrant women from diverse regions of the world who used commercial sex work to supplement their income thereby increasing their vulnerability. Migrant women working on sugar cane plantations of the Dominican Republic (Brewer et al, 1998), Hispanic farm workers in the United States (Fernandez et al, 2004;Gadon, Chierici, & Rios, 2001), and Burmese factory workers in Thailand (Mullany, Maung, & Beyrer, 2003) have all relied on sex work as an income supplement and consequently this has been termed an "interim survival strategy" for migrant women (Brewer et al, 1998).…”