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Calderón-Villarreal A, Abramovitz D, Avelar Portillo LJ, Goldenberg S, Flanigan S, Quintana PJE, Harvey-Vera A, Vera CF, Rangel G, Strathdee SA, Kayser GL. Water, sanitation and hygiene insecurity predict abscess incidence among people who inject drugs in a binational US-Mexico metropolitan area: A longitudinal cohort study. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024; 129:104485. [PMID: 38901113 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION People who inject drugs (PWID) are at high risk of developing injection-related infections, including abscesses. Access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are key human rights and services; yet these services have been underexplored as predictors of abscesses among PWID. METHODS Longitudinal analysis was employed among a cohort of PWID to determine if WASH insecurity (lack of access) was associated with abscess incidence in the Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego, United States metropolitan area during 24-months of follow-up survey data from 2020 to 2023. We calculated abscess prevalence at baseline and tracked the incidence of new abscesses among individuals without an abscess during the previous visit. Time dependent Cox regression modeling was employed with variance clustered by participant to characterize the relationship between WASH insecurity and abscess incidence. RESULTS At baseline, hand hygiene insecurity, bathing insecurity in the previous six months and open defecation in the last week, were reported by 60 %, 54 % and 38 % of participants, respectively; 21 % reported an abscess in the last six months. The incidence of abscesses was 24.4 (95 %CI: 21.1-27.6) per 100 person-years. After adjusting for covariates, the hazard of developing an abscess remained significantly elevated among individuals using non-improved (with risk of contamination) water sources (e.g., surface water) for preparing drugs (adjusted HR [adjHR]: 1.49 [95 %CI: 1.01-2.21], experiencing bathing insecurity (adjHR: 1.59 [95 %CI: 1.12-2.24]) and open defecation (adjHR: 1.65 [95 %CI: 1.16-2.35]). CONCLUSIONS PWID in the Tijuana-San Diego metropolitan area reported facing high rates of insecurity accessing WASH services. Abscess incidence was higher (four to nine times) than observed rate among PWID cohorts in other settings. Access to continuously available toilet facilities, bathing infrastructure, and safe water sources for preparing drugs for injection could prevent abscesses among PWID. Accessible WASH infrastructure should be ensured among PWID communities and promoted as a key component of harm reduction infrastructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alhelí Calderón-Villarreal
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego (UCSD), San Diego, CA, USA; School of Public Health, San Diego State University (SDSU), San Diego, CA, USA.
| | - Daniela Abramovitz
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, UCSD, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Lourdes Johanna Avelar Portillo
- Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Division of Global Health, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, UCSD, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Shira Goldenberg
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University (SDSU), San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Alicia Harvey-Vera
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, UCSD, San Diego, CA, USA; Universidad Xochicalco, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Carlos F Vera
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, UCSD, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Gudelia Rangel
- El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico; Border Health Commission, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Steffanie A Strathdee
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, UCSD, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Georgia L Kayser
- Division of Global Health, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, UCSD, San Diego, CA, USA
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Calderón-Villarreal A, Avelar Portillo LJ, Abramovitz D, Goldenberg S, Flanigan S, Quintana PJE, Harvey-Vera A, Vera CF, Rangel G, Strathdee SA, Kayser GL. Water, sanitation, and hygiene access among people who inject drugs in Tijuana and San Diego in 2020-2021: a cross-sectional study. Int J Equity Health 2024; 23:79. [PMID: 38644494 PMCID: PMC11034064 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-024-02163-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) access is critical to public health and human dignity. People who inject drugs (PWID) experience stigma and structural violence that may limit WASH access. Few studies have assessed WASH access, insecurity, and inequities among PWID. We describe WASH access, social and geographic inequalities, and factors associated with WASH insecurity among PWID in the Tijuana-San Diego metropolitan area. METHODS In this cross-sectional binational study, we interviewed PWID (age 18+) in 2020-2021 about WASH access and insecurity. City of residence (Tijuana/San Diego) and housing status were considered as independent variables to describe key WASH access outcomes and to assess as factors associated with WASH insecurity outcomes. Measures of association between outcomes and independent variables were assessed using log modified-Poisson regression models adjusting for covariates. RESULTS Of 586 PWID (202 Tijuana; 384 San Diego), 89% reported basic access to drinking water, 38% had basic hand hygiene, 28% basic sanitation, and 46% access to bathing, and 38% reported recent open defecation. Participants residing in Tijuana reported significantly higher insecurity in accessing basic drinking water (aRR: 1.68, 95%CI: 1.02-2.76), basic hygiene (aRR: 1.45, 95%CI: 1.28-1.64), and bathing (aRR: 1.21, 95%CI: 1.06-1.39) than those living in San Diego. Participants experiencing unsheltered homelessness experienced significantly higher insecurity in accessing basic drinking water (aRR: 2.03, 95%CI: 1.07-3.86), basic sanitation (aRR: 1.68, 95%CI: 1.48, 1.92), bathing (aRR: 1.84, 95%CI: 1.52-2.22), and improved water sources for cleaning wounds (aRR: 3.12, 95%CI: 1.55-6.29) and for preparing drugs (aRR: 2.58, 95%CI: 1.36-4.89) than participants living in permanent housing. CONCLUSION WASH access among PWID in the Tijuana-San Diego metropolitan area was low by international standards and lower than the national averages in both countries. Homelessness was significantly associated with WASH insecurity in this population. Concentrated efforts are needed to guarantee continuously available WASH services for PWID-especially those who are unsheltered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alhelí Calderón-Villarreal
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), San Diego, California, USA.
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University (SDSU), San Diego, California, USA.
| | - Lourdes Johanna Avelar Portillo
- Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Division of Global Health, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, UCSD, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Daniela Abramovitz
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, UCSD, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Shira Goldenberg
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University (SDSU), San Diego, California, USA
| | - Shawn Flanigan
- School of Public Affairs, SDSU, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Penelope J E Quintana
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University (SDSU), San Diego, California, USA
| | - Alicia Harvey-Vera
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, UCSD, San Diego, California, USA
- Universidad de Xochicalco, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Carlos F Vera
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, UCSD, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Gudelia Rangel
- El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
- Border Health Commission, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Steffanie A Strathdee
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, UCSD, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Georgia L Kayser
- Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
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Pines HA, Eger WH, Skaathun B, Vera CF, Harvey-Vera A, Rangel G, Strathdee SA, Bazzi AR. Willingness to use and distribute HIV self-testing kits among people who inject drugs in the San Diego-Tijuana border region. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:4. [PMID: 38172795 PMCID: PMC10765917 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00922-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV self-testing (HIVST) could increase HIV testing access among people who inject drugs (PWID), and secondary distribution (i.e., peer-delivery) of HIVST kits in PWID social networks could further expand coverage. We assessed willingness to use and distribute HIVST kits among PWID in the San Diego-Tijuana border region. METHODS From 2020 to 2021, HIV-negative PWID in San Diego, USA, and Tijuana, Mexico, completed surveys and provided data on individual (N = 539) and social network (N = 366) characteristics. We used modified Poisson regression to examine the effects of individual and social network characteristics on willingness to use and distribute HIVST kits. RESULTS Most participants were willing to use (81%) and distribute (81%) HIVST kits. At the individual level, prior HIV testing was positively associated with willingness to use (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] = 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-1.40) and distribute (aPR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.12-1.43) HIVST kits, while perceiving oneself to be at higher HIV risk than others was negatively associated with willingness to use HIVST kits (aPR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.74-0.93). At the network level, willingness to distribute HIVST kits was positively associated with network size (aPR = 1.04 per member, 95% CI 1.01-1.08) and greater proportions of one's network encouraging them to use drugs (aPR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.16-1.44) and having a history of homelessness (aPR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.31-1.74) or detention/arrest (aPR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.36-1.82), and negatively associated with a greater proportion of one's network including "very close" persons (aPR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.69-0.94). CONCLUSIONS We found high potential for HIVST kits and their secondary distribution to increase HIV testing among PWID who face the greatest barriers to facility-based testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather A Pines
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - William H Eger
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- School of Social Work, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Britt Skaathun
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Carlos F Vera
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alicia Harvey-Vera
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gudelia Rangel
- Mexico Section of the US-Mexico Border Health Commission, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
- El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
| | | | - Angela R Bazzi
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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Avelar Portillo LJ, Calderón-Villarreal A, Abramovitz D, Harvey-Vera A, Cassels S, Vera CF, Munoz S, Tornez A, Rangel G, Strathdee SA, Kayser GL. WaSH insecurity and anxiety among people who inject drugs in the Tijuana-San Diego border region. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:19. [PMID: 38166866 PMCID: PMC10763368 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17341-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) insecurity increases the risk of water-related diseases. However, limited research has been conducted on psychosocial distress as it relates to WaSH insecurity, especially among people who inject drugs (PWID). We examined the relationship between WaSH insecurity and related anxiety among PWID living in different housing conditions along the US-Mexico border region. METHODS From 2020-2021, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 585 people who injected drugs within the last month in Tijuana (N = 202), San Diego (N = 182), and in both Tijuana and San Diego (N = 201). Participants underwent interviewer-administered surveys related to WaSH access, substance use, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7). Quasi-Poisson regressions were used to assess associations between WaSH insecurity and anxiety in the prior 6-months. RESULTS Participants were 75% male, 42% were unhoused and 91% experienced WaSH insecurity in the prior 6-months. After adjusting for housing status, gender, and age, lack of access to basic drinking water (Adj RR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.02-1.58), sanitation (Adj RR:1.28; 95% CI: 1.07-1.55), and a daily bath/shower (Adj RR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.15-1.66) were associated with mild-severe anxiety. The number of WaSH insecurities was independently associated with a 20% increased risk of experiencing anxiety per every additional insecurity experienced (Adj RR: 1.20; CI: 1.12-1.27). We also found a significant interaction between gender and housing status (p = 0.003), indicating that among people experiencing sheltered/unsheltered homelessness, women had a higher risk of mild-severe anxiety compared to men (Adj RR: 1.55; 95% CI: 1.27-1.89). At the same time, among women, those who are unhoused have 37% increased risk of anxiety than those who live in stable housing conditions (Adj RR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.01-1.89). CONCLUSION The lack of specific WaSH services, particularly lack of drinking water, toilets, and daily showers were associated with higher levels of anxiety among PWID in the Tijuana-San Diego border region. Women experiencing homelessness were especially vulnerable. WaSH interventions that provide safe, 24-h access may help to reduce anxiety and health risks associated with WaSH insecurity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lourdes Johanna Avelar Portillo
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Alhelí Calderón-Villarreal
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Daniela Abramovitz
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alicia Harvey-Vera
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Facultad de Medicina, Campus Tijuana, Universidad de Xochicalco, Tijuana, Baja California, México
- United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Susan Cassels
- Department of Geography, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Carlos F Vera
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sheryl Munoz
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Arturo Tornez
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gudelia Rangel
- United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
- Departamento de Estudios de Población, Colegio de La Frontera Norte, Tijuana, México
| | - Steffanie A Strathdee
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Georgia L Kayser
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Rivera Saldana CD, Abramovitz D, Beletsky L, Borquez A, Kiene S, Marquez LK, Patton T, Strathdee S, Zúñiga ML, Martin NK, Cepeda J. Estimating the impact of a police education program on hepatitis C virus transmission and disease burden among people who inject drugs in Tijuana, Mexico: A dynamic modeling analysis. Addiction 2023; 118:1763-1774. [PMID: 37039246 PMCID: PMC10524658 DOI: 10.1111/add.16203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Criminalization of drug use and punitive policing are key structural drivers of hepatitis C virus (HCV) risk among people who inject drugs (PWID). A police education program (Proyecto Escudo) delivering training on occupational safety together with drug law content was implemented between 2015 and 2016 in Tijuana, Mexico, to underpin drug law reform implementation. We used data from a longitudinal cohort of PWID in Tijuana to inform epidemic modeling and assess the long-term impact of Escudo on HCV transmission and burden among PWID in Tijuana. METHODS We developed a dynamic, compartmental model of HCV transmission and incarceration among PWID and tracked liver disease progression among current and former PWID. The model was calibrated to data from Tijuana, Mexico, with 90% HCV seroprevalence. We used segmented regression analysis to estimate impact of Escudo on recent incarceration among an observational cohort of PWID. By simulating the observed incarceration trends, we estimated the potential impact of the implemented (2-year reduction in incarceration) and an extended (10-year reduction in incarceration) police education program over a 50-year follow-up (2016-2066) on HCV outcomes (incidence, cirrhosis, HCV-related deaths and disability adjusted life-years averted) compared with no intervention. RESULTS Over the 2-year follow-up, Proyecto Escudo reduced HCV incidence among PWID from 21.5 per 100 person years (/100py) (95% uncertainty interval [UI] = 15.3-29.7/100py) in 2016 to 21.1/100py (UI = 15.0-29.1/100py) in 2018. If continued for 10 years, Escudo could reduce HCV incidence to 20.0/100py (14.0-27.8/100py) by 2026 and avert 186 (32-389) new infections, 76 (UI = 12-160) cases of cirrhosis and 32 (5-73) deaths per 10 000 PWID compared with no intervention over a 50-year time horizon. CONCLUSIONS In Tijuana, Mexico, implementation of a police education program delivering training on occupational safety and drug law content appears to have reduced hepatitis C virus incidence among people who inject drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos D Rivera Saldana
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Daniela Abramovitz
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Leo Beletsky
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- School of Law and Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Annick Borquez
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Susan Kiene
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Lara K Marquez
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Thomas Patton
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Steffanie Strathdee
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - María Luisa Zúñiga
- School of Social Work, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Natasha K Martin
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Javier Cepeda
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Martinez-Donate AP, Rangel G, Correa C, Bakely L, Gonzalez-Fagoaga JE, González AA, Amuedo-Dorantes C, Zhang X, Magis-Rodriguez C, Lê-Scherban F, Guendelman S, Parrado E. The next phases of the Migrante Project: Study protocol to expand an observatory of migrant health on the Mexico-U.S. border. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1032420. [PMID: 37139391 PMCID: PMC10150099 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1032420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Mexican migrants traveling across the Mexico-United States (U.S.) border region represent a large, highly mobile, and socially vulnerable subset of Mexican nationals. Population-level health data for this group is hard to obtain given their geographic dispersion, mobility, and largely unauthorized status in the U.S. Over the last 14 years, the Migrante Project has implemented a unique migration framework and novel methodological approach to generate population-level estimates of disease burden and healthcare access for migrants traversing the Mexico-U.S. border. This paper describes the rationale and history of the Migrante Project and the protocol for the next phases of the project. Methods/design In the next phases, two probability, face-to-face surveys of Mexican migrant flows will be conducted at key crossing points in Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, and Matamoros (N = 1,200 each). Both survey waves will obtain data on demographics, migration history, health status, health care access, COVID-19 history, and from biometric tests. In addition, the first survey will focus on non-communicable disease (NCD), while the second will dive deeper into mental health and substance use. The project will also pilot test the feasibility of a longitudinal dimension with 90 survey respondents that will be re-interviewed by phone 6 months after completing the face-to-face baseline survey. Discussion Interview and biometric data from the Migrante project will help to characterize health care access and health status and identify variations in NCD-related outcomes, mental health, and substance use across migration phases. The results will also set the basis for a future longitudinal extension of this migrant health observatory. Analyses of previous Migrante data, paired with data from these upcoming phases, can shed light on the impact of health care and immigration policies on migrants' health and inform policy and programmatic responses to improve migrant health in sending, transit, and receiving communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana P. Martinez-Donate
- Department of Community Health & Prevention, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Gudelia Rangel
- Mexico Section of the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Catalina Correa
- Department of Community Health & Prevention, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Leah Bakely
- Department of Community Health & Prevention, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | | | - Ahmed Asadi González
- School of Medicine and Psychology, Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC), Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
| | | | - Xiao Zhang
- School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Félice Lê-Scherban
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sylvia Guendelman
- School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Emilio Parrado
- Department of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Shrader CH, Borquez A, Vasylyeva TI, Chaillon A, Artamanova I, Harvey-Vera A, Vera CF, Rangel G, Strathdee SA, Skaathun B. Network-level HIV risk norms are associated with individual-level HIV risk and harm reduction behaviors among people who inject drugs: a latent profile analysis. AIDS Behav 2023; 27:484-495. [PMID: 35939177 PMCID: PMC9358371 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-022-03783-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 related U.S.-Mexico border-crossing restrictions disrupted social networks and HIV harm reduction services among people who inject drugs (PWID) in San Diego and Tijuana. We assessed associations of descriptive network norms on PWID's HIV vulnerability during this period. Between 10/2020 and 10/2021, 399 PWID completed a behavioral and egocentric questionnaire. We used Latent Profile Analysis to categorize PWID into network norm risk profiles based on proportions of their network (n = 924 drug use alters) who injected drugs and engaged in cross-border drug use (CBDU), among other vulnerabilities. We used logistic and linear regressions to assess network profile associations with individual-level index of HIV vulnerability and harm reduction behaviors. Fit indices specified a 4-latent profile solution of descriptive network risk norms: lower (n = 178), moderate with (n = 34) and without (n = 94) CBDU and obtainment, and higher (n = 93). Participants in higher risk profiles reported more HIV vulnerability behaviors and fewer harm reduction behaviors. PWID's gradient of HIV risk was associated with network norms, warranting intervention on high-vulnerability networks when services are limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cho-Hee Shrader
- ICAP at Columbia University, New York, NY United States of America
| | - Annick Borquez
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA United States of America
| | - Tetyana I. Vasylyeva
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA United States of America
| | - Antoine Chaillon
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA United States of America
| | - Irina Artamanova
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA United States of America
| | - Alicia Harvey-Vera
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA United States of America
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Xochicalco Campus Tijuana, Tijuana, Baja California Mexico
- Mexican Section, United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, Tijuana, Baja California Mexico
| | - Carlos F. Vera
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA United States of America
| | - Gudelia Rangel
- Mexican Section, United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, Tijuana, Baja California Mexico
- Departmento de Estudios de Población, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Tijuana, Baja California Mexico
| | - Steffanie A. Strathdee
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA United States of America
| | - Britt Skaathun
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA United States of America
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Saldana CDR, Beletsky L, Borquez A, Kiene SM, Marquez LK, Strathdee SA, Zúñiga ML, Cepeda J, Martin NK. Modelling the contribution of incarceration and public health oriented drug law reform to HCV transmission and elimination among PWID in Tijuana, Mexico. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2022; 110:103878. [PMID: 36242829 PMCID: PMC9841890 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Incarceration is associated with increased risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) among people who inject drugs (PWID). Mexico's previous attempt in implementing a public health-oriented drug law reform resulted in minimal impact on incarceration among PWID. However, implementation of reforms alongside Mexico's HCV elimination program has the potential to reshape the HCV epidemic among PWID in the next decade. We use data from a cohort of PWID in Tijuana, Mexico, to inform epidemic modeling to assess the contribution of incarceration and fully implemented drug reform on HCV transmission and elimination among PWID. METHODS We developed a dynamic, deterministic model of incarceration, HCV transmission and disease progression among PWID. The model was calibrated to data from Tijuana, Mexico, with 90% HCV seroprevalence among 10,000 PWID. We estimated the 10-year population attributable fraction (PAF) of incarceration to HCV incidence among PWID and simulated, from 2022, the potential impact of the following scenarios: 1) decriminalization (80% reduction in incarceration rates); 2) fully implemented drug law reform (decriminalization and diversion to opiate agonist therapy [OAT]); 3) fully implemented drug law reform with HCV treatment (direct-acting antivirals [DAA]). We also assessed the number DAA needed to reach the 80% incidence reduction target by 2030 under these scenarios. RESULTS Projections suggest a PAF of incarceration to HCV incidence of 5.4% (95% uncertainty interval [UI]:0.6-11.9%) among PWID in Tijuana between 2022-2032. Fully implemented drug reforms could reduce HCV incidence rate by 10.6% (95%UI:3.1-19.2%) across 10 years and reduce the number of DAA required to achieve Mexico's HCV incidence reduction goal by 14.3% (95%UI:5.3-17.1%). CONCLUSIONS Among PWID in Tijuana, Mexico, incarceration remains an important contributor to HCV transmission. Full implementation of public health-oriented drug law reform could play an important role in reducing HCV incidence and improve the feasibility of reaching the HCV incidence elimination target by 2030.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos D Rivera Saldana
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, United States; School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, United States.
| | - Leo Beletsky
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, United States; School of Law and Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
| | - Annick Borquez
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, United States
| | - Susan M Kiene
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, United States
| | - Lara K Marquez
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, United States
| | - Steffanie A Strathdee
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, United States
| | - María Luisa Zúñiga
- School of Social Work, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, United States
| | - Javier Cepeda
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, United States
| | - Natasha K Martin
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, United States; Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1QU, United Kingdom
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Avila-Rios S, García-Morales C, Reyes-Terán G, González-Rodríguez A, Matías-Florentino M, Mehta SR, Chaillon A. Phylodynamics of HIV in the Mexico City Metropolitan Region. J Virol 2022; 96:e0070822. [PMID: 35762759 PMCID: PMC9327710 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00708-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary analyses of viral sequences can provide insights into transmission dynamics, which in turn can optimize prevention interventions. Here, we characterized the dynamics of HIV transmission within the Mexico City metropolitan area. HIV pol sequences from persons recently diagnosed at the largest HIV clinic in Mexico City (between 2016 and 2021) were annotated with demographic/geographic metadata. A multistep phylogenetic approach was applied to identify putative transmission clades. A data set of publicly available sequences was used to assess international introductions. Clades were analyzed with a discrete phylogeographic model to evaluate the timing and intensity of HIV introductions and transmission dynamics among municipalities in the region. A total of 6,802 sequences across 96 municipalities (5,192 from Mexico City and 1,610 from the neighboring State of Mexico) were included (93.6% cisgender men, 5.0% cisgender women, and 1.3% transgender women); 3,971 of these sequences formed 1,206 clusters, involving 78 municipalities, including 89 clusters of ≥10 sequences. Discrete phylogeographic analysis revealed (i) 1,032 viral introductions into the region, over one-half of which were from the United States, and (ii) 354 migration events between municipalities with high support (adjusted Bayes factor of ≥3). The most frequent viral migrations occurred between northern municipalities within Mexico City, i.e., Cuauhtémoc to Iztapalapa (5.2% of events), Iztapalapa to Gustavo A. Madero (5.4%), and Gustavo A. Madero to Cuauhtémoc (6.5%). Our analysis illustrates the complexity of HIV transmission within the Mexico City metropolitan area but also identifies a spatially active transmission area involving a few municipalities in the north of the city, where targeted interventions could have a more pronounced effect on the entire regional epidemic. IMPORTANCE Phylogeographic investigation of the Mexico City HIV epidemic illustrates the complexity of HIV transmission in the region. An active transmission area involving a few municipalities in the north of the city, with transmission links throughout the region, is identified and could be a location where targeted interventions could have a more pronounced effect on the entire regional epidemic, compared with those dispersed in other manners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Avila-Rios
- Center for Research in Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Claudia García-Morales
- Center for Research in Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Gustavo Reyes-Terán
- Coordinating Commission of the National Institutes of Health and High Specialty Hospitals, Ministry of Health, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | | | - Sanjay R. Mehta
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
- Veterans Affairs Health System, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Antoine Chaillon
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
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10
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Baker P, Beletsky L, Garfein R, Pitpitan E, Oren E, Strathdee SA, Cepeda JA. Impact of SHIELD Police Training on Knowledge of Syringe Possession Laws and Related Arrests in Tijuana, Mexico. Am J Public Health 2022; 112:860-864. [PMID: 35446602 PMCID: PMC9137025 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2021.306702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Between 2015 and 2018, we provided training for 1806 municipal police officers in Tijuana, Mexico, in an effort to improve their knowledge and behaviors related to HIV and injection drug use. Correct knowledge of syringe possession laws improved from 56% before training to 94% after training and was sustained at 24 months (75%). Knowledge improvement was associated with decreases in arrests for syringe possession over time (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.85, 0.90). Officers with correct knowledge had significantly lower odds of reporting arrests (AOR = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.44, 0.89). Training was associated with sustained improvements in knowledge and practices that advance public health. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(6):860-864. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306702).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter Baker
- Pieter Baker and Javier A. Cepeda are with the Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Leo Beletsky is with the Bouvé College of Health Sciences and School of Law, Northeastern University, Boston, MA. Richard Garfein and Steffanie A. Strathdee are with the Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego. Eileen Pitpitan and Eyal Oren are with the Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - Leo Beletsky
- Pieter Baker and Javier A. Cepeda are with the Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Leo Beletsky is with the Bouvé College of Health Sciences and School of Law, Northeastern University, Boston, MA. Richard Garfein and Steffanie A. Strathdee are with the Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego. Eileen Pitpitan and Eyal Oren are with the Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - Richard Garfein
- Pieter Baker and Javier A. Cepeda are with the Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Leo Beletsky is with the Bouvé College of Health Sciences and School of Law, Northeastern University, Boston, MA. Richard Garfein and Steffanie A. Strathdee are with the Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego. Eileen Pitpitan and Eyal Oren are with the Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - Eileen Pitpitan
- Pieter Baker and Javier A. Cepeda are with the Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Leo Beletsky is with the Bouvé College of Health Sciences and School of Law, Northeastern University, Boston, MA. Richard Garfein and Steffanie A. Strathdee are with the Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego. Eileen Pitpitan and Eyal Oren are with the Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - Eyal Oren
- Pieter Baker and Javier A. Cepeda are with the Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Leo Beletsky is with the Bouvé College of Health Sciences and School of Law, Northeastern University, Boston, MA. Richard Garfein and Steffanie A. Strathdee are with the Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego. Eileen Pitpitan and Eyal Oren are with the Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - Steffanie A Strathdee
- Pieter Baker and Javier A. Cepeda are with the Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Leo Beletsky is with the Bouvé College of Health Sciences and School of Law, Northeastern University, Boston, MA. Richard Garfein and Steffanie A. Strathdee are with the Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego. Eileen Pitpitan and Eyal Oren are with the Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - Javier A Cepeda
- Pieter Baker and Javier A. Cepeda are with the Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Leo Beletsky is with the Bouvé College of Health Sciences and School of Law, Northeastern University, Boston, MA. Richard Garfein and Steffanie A. Strathdee are with the Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego. Eileen Pitpitan and Eyal Oren are with the Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
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11
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Filosa JN, Botello-Mares A, Goodman-Meza D. COVID-19 needs no passport: the interrelationship of the COVID-19 pandemic along the U.S.-Mexico border. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1081. [PMID: 35641957 PMCID: PMC9153860 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13513-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic along the U.S.-Mexico border region and evaluate the relationship of COVID-19 related mortality, socioeconomic status, and vaccination. METHODS We used indirect standardization to age-adjust mortality rates and calculate standardized mortality ratios [SMR] in both countries. To examine the impact of socioeconomic factors, we calculated the Human Development Index (HDI) by county/municipality. We performed linear regression to understand the relationship between mortality, vaccination, and HDI. We used choropleth maps to visualize the trends seen in the region. RESULTS Between January 22nd, 2020 and December 1st, 2021, surges of cases and deaths were similar in dyad cities along the U.S.-Mexico border visualizing the interconnectedness of the region. Mortality was higher in U.S. counties along the border compared to the national average (SMR 1.17, 95% CI 1.15-1.19). In Mexico, border counties had a slightly lower mortality to the national average (SMR 0.94, 95% CI 0.93-0.95). In U.S. border states, SMR was shown to negatively correlate with human development index (HDI), a socioeconomic proxy, resulting in a higher SMR in the border region compared to the rest of the counties. Conversely in Mexican border states, there was no association between SMR and HDI. Related to vaccination, U.S. counties along the border were vaccinated at a greater percentage than non-border counties and vaccination was negatively correlated with HDI. In Mexico, states along the border had a higher ratio of vaccinations per person than non-border states. CONCLUSIONS The U.S.-Mexico border is a divide of incredible importance not only to immigration but as a region with unique social, economic, environmental, and epidemiological factors that impact disease transmission. We investigated how the COVID-19 pandemic followed trends of previously studied diseases in the corridor such as tuberculosis, HIV, and influenza H1N1. These data state how targeted intervention along the U.S.-Mexico border region is a necessity when confronting COVID-19 and have implications for future control of infectious diseases in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- John N Filosa
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 10833 Le Conte Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1688, USA
| | - Adrian Botello-Mares
- Department of Population Studies, Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Sonora, Nogales, Mexico
| | - David Goodman-Meza
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 10833 Le Conte Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1688, USA. .,Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), CA, Los Angeles, USA.
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12
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Zhang B, Yan X, Li Y, Zhu H, Lu Z, Jia Z. Trends in Methamphetamine Use in the Mainland of China, 2006-2015. Front Public Health 2022; 10:852837. [PMID: 35570894 PMCID: PMC9096246 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.852837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Methamphetamine is the most prevalent drug in the mainland of China, yet few studies on the non-medical use of methamphetamine nationwide have been conducted. This study aimed to examine the trends in the prevalence of non-medical methamphetamine use and to explore the flow pattern of internal migrant methamphetamine users in the mainland of China. Methods Data were extracted from the National Dynamic Management and Control Database for Drug Users (NDMCD). Joinpoint regressions were used to examine trends in the prevalence and population size of methamphetamine use. Results A total of 1,821,468 methamphetamine use cases registered in NDMCD from 2006 to 2015 were identified. The number of methamphetamine use cases presented an increasing trend in all age subgroups, and among them, the elderly increased the fastest [annual percent change (APC2006−2015), 122.9; 95% CI, 113.0–133.3; p < 0.001]. The prevalence of methamphetamine use increased from 4.69 per 100,000 population in 2008 to 45.38 per 100,000 population in 2015 (APC2008−2015, 36.1; 95% CI, 31.9–40.6; p < 0.001). The regions of the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Urban Agglomeration absorbed over 96% of all internal migrant methamphetamine use cases, and the number of migrant methamphetamine use cases presented increased trends in these three regions. Conclusions The increasing trends in methamphetamine use have become a threat to all age groups in China. Substance use prevention programs should focus on internal migrant drug users, especially in economically developed regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhang
- School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangyu Yan
- School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yongjie Li
- School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - He Zhu
- China Center for Health Development Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zuhong Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhongwei Jia
- School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Center for Intelligent Public Health, Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Center for Drug Abuse Control and Prevention, National Institute of Health Data Science, Peking University, Beijing, China
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13
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Espinosa da Silva C, Pines HA, Patterson TL, Semple S, Harvey-Vera A, Strathdee SA, Martinez G, Pitpitan E, Smith LR. Psychometric Evaluation of the Personal Feelings Questionnaire-2 (PFQ-2) Shame Subscale Among Spanish-Speaking Female Sex Workers in Mexico. Assessment 2022; 29:488-498. [PMID: 33371719 PMCID: PMC8236494 DOI: 10.1177/1073191120981768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Shame may increase HIV risk among stigmatized populations. The Personal Feelings Questionnaire-2 (PFQ-2) measures shame, but has not been validated in Spanish-speaking or nonclinical stigmatized populations disproportionately affected by HIV in resource-limited settings. We examined the psychometric properties of the Spanish-translated PFQ-2 shame subscale among female sex workers in two Mexico-U.S. border cities. From 2016 to 2017, 602 HIV-negative female sex workers in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez participated in an efficacy trial evaluating a behavior change maintenance intervention. Interviewer-administered surveys collected information on shame (10-item PFQ-2 subscale), psychosocial factors, and sociodemographics. Item performance, confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency, differential item functioning by city, and concurrent validity were assessed. Response options were collapsed to 3-point responses to improve item performance, and one misfit item was removed. The revised 9-item shame subscale supported a single construct and had good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .86). Notable differential item functioning was found but resulted in a negligible effect on overall scores. Correlations between the revised shame subscale and guilt (r = .79, p < .01), depression (r = .69, p < .01), and emotional support (r = -.28, p < .01) supported concurrent validity. The revised PFQ-2 shame subscale showed good reliability and concurrent validity in our sample, and should be explored in other stigmatized populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Gustavo Martinez
- Federación Mexicana de Asociaciones Privadas, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México
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14
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Sahile Z, Perimal-Lewis L, Arbon P, Maeder AJ. Protocol of a parallel group Randomized Control Trial (RCT) for Mobile-assisted Medication Adherence Support (Ma-MAS) intervention among Tuberculosis patients. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0261758. [PMID: 34972128 PMCID: PMC8719740 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-adherence to Tuberculosis (TB) medication is a serious threat to TB prevention and control programs, especially in resource-limited settings. The growth of the popularity of mobile phones provides opportunities to address non-adherence, by facilitating direct communication more frequently between healthcare providers and patients through SMS texts and voice phone calls. However, the existing evidence is inconsistent about the effect of SMS interventions on TB treatment adherence. Such interventions are also seldom developed based on appropriate theoretical foundations. Therefore, there is a reason to approach this problem more rigorously, by developing the intervention systematically with evidence-based theory and conducting the trial with strong measurement methods. METHODS This study is a single-blind parallel-group design individual randomized control trial. A total of 186 participants (93 per group) will be individually randomized into one of the two groups with a 1:1 allocation ratio by a computer-generated algorithm. Group one (intervention) participants will receive daily SMS texts and weekly phone calls concerning their daily medication intake and medication refill clinic visit reminder and group two (control) participants will receive the same routine standard treatment care as the intervention group, but no SMS text and phone calls. All participants will be followed for two months of home-based self-administered medication during the continuation phases of the standard treatment period. Urine test for the presence of isoniazid (INH) drug metabolites in urine will be undertaken at the random point at the fourth and eighth weeks of intervention to measure medication adherence. Medication adherence will also be assessed by self-report measurements using the AIDS Clinical Trial Group adherence (ACTG) and Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) questionnaires, and clinic appointment attendance registration. Multivariable regression model analysis will be employed to assess the effect of the Ma-MAS intervention at a significance level of P-value < 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval. DISCUSSION For this trial, a mobile-assisted medication adherence intervention will first be developed systematically based on the Medical Research Council framework using appropriate behavioural theory and evidence. The trial will then evaluate the effect of SMS texts and phone calls on TB medication adherence. Evidence generated from this trial will be highly valuable for policymakers, program managers, and healthcare providers working in Ethiopia and beyond. TRIAL REGISTRATION The trial is registered in the Pan-Africa Clinical Trials Registry with trial number PACTR202002831201865.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zekariyas Sahile
- Department of Public Health, Ambo University, Ambo, Ethiopia
- Flinders Digital Health Research Centre College of Nursing & Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Lua Perimal-Lewis
- College of Science & Engineering, Flinders Digital Health Research Centre, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Paul Arbon
- College of Nursing & Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide SA, Australia
| | - Anthony John Maeder
- Flinders Digital Health Research Centre College of Nursing & Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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15
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Social and Behavioral Impacts of COVID-19 on People Living with HIV: Review of the First Year of Research. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 2021; 19:54-75. [PMID: 34826067 PMCID: PMC8617547 DOI: 10.1007/s11904-021-00593-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of the Review The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic brought unprecedented social change with the most severe impacts on the most vulnerable populations, including people living with HIV (PLWH). This review examined findings from empirical studies of social and behavioral impacts of COVID-19 on PLWH in the first year of the pandemic. Recent Findings Impacts of COVID-19 on PLWH fit within an HIV syndemics framework, with overlapping COVID-19 and HIV comorbid conditions concerning mental health and structural inequality. Early impacts of COVID-19 on social isolation, emotional distress, stigma, and substance use varied across studies with few consistent patterns. Structural inequalities, particularly impacts on food security and housing stability, were observed more consistently and globally. Summary COVID-19 intersects with HIV infection along with multiple interlocking comorbidities that are best characterized and understood within a syndemics framework.
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16
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Fraser H, Borquez A, Stone J, Abramovitz D, Brouwer KC, Goodman-Meza D, Hickman M, Patterson TL, Silverman J, Smith L, Strathdee SA, Martin NK, Vickerman P. Overlapping Key Populations and HIV Transmission in Tijuana, Mexico: A Modelling Analysis of Epidemic Drivers. AIDS Behav 2021; 25:3814-3827. [PMID: 34216285 PMCID: PMC8560668 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-021-03361-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Tijuana, Mexico, has a concentrated HIV epidemic among overlapping key populations (KPs) including people who inject drugs (PWID), female sex workers (FSW), their male clients, and men who have sex with men (MSM). We developed a dynamic HIV transmission model among these KPs to determine the extent to which their unmet prevention and treatment needs is driving HIV transmission. Over 2020-2029 we estimated the proportion of new infections acquired in each KP, and the proportion due to their unprotected risk behaviours. We estimate that 43.7% and 55.3% of new infections are among MSM and PWID, respectively, with FSW and their clients making-up < 10% of new infections. Projections suggest 93.8% of new infections over 2020-2029 will be due to unprotected sex between MSM or unsafe injecting drug use. Prioritizing interventions addressing sexual and injecting risks among MSM and PWID are critical to controlling HIV in Tijuana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Fraser
- Oakfield House, Population Health Sciences - Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK.
| | - Annick Borquez
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Jack Stone
- Oakfield House, Population Health Sciences - Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | | | | | - David Goodman-Meza
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Hickman
- Oakfield House, Population Health Sciences - Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | | | - Jay Silverman
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Laramie Smith
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | | | - Natasha K Martin
- Oakfield House, Population Health Sciences - Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Peter Vickerman
- Oakfield House, Population Health Sciences - Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK.
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Baker P, Arredondo J, Borquez A, Clairgue E, Mittal ML, Morales M, Rocha-Jimenez T, Garfein R, Oren E, Pitpitan E, Strathdee SA, Beletsky L, Cepeda JA. Municipal police support for harm reduction services in officer-led referrals of people who inject drugs in Tijuana, Mexico. Harm Reduct J 2021; 18:76. [PMID: 34311765 PMCID: PMC8313001 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-021-00513-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Police constitute a structural determinant of health and HIV risk of people who inject drugs (PWID), and negative encounters with law enforcement present significant barriers to PWID access to harm reduction services. Conversely, police may facilitate access via officer-led referrals, potentiating prevention of HIV, overdose, and drug-related harms. We aimed to identify police characteristics associated with support for officer-led referrals to addiction treatment services and syringe service programs (SSP). We hypothesized that officers who believe harm reduction services are contradictory to policing priorities in terms of safety and crime reduction will be less likely to support police referrals. METHODS Between January and June 2018, police officers (n = 305) in Tijuana, Mexico, completed self-administered surveys about referrals to harm reduction services during the 24-month follow-up visit as part of the SHIELD police training and longitudinal cohort study. Log-binomial regression was used to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios and model policing characteristics and attitudes related to officers' support for including addiction treatment and SSP in referrals. RESULTS Respondents were primarily male (89%), patrol officers (86%) with a median age of 38 years (IQR 33-43). Overall, 89% endorsed referral to addiction services, whereas 53% endorsed SSP as acceptable targets of referrals. Officers endorsing addiction services were less likely to be assigned to high drug use districts (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR] = 0.50, 95% CI 0.24, 1.08) and more likely to agree that methadone programs reduce crime (APR = 4.66, 95% CI 2.05, 9.18) than officers who did not support addiction services. Officers endorsing SSPs were younger (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR] = 0.96 95% CI 0.93, 0.98), less likely to be assigned to high drug use districts (APR = 0.50, 95% CI 0.29, 0.87), more likely to believe that methadone programs reduce crime (APR = 2.43, 95% CI 1.30, 4.55), and less likely to believe that SSPs increase risk of needlestick injury for police (APR = 0.44, 0.27, 0.71). CONCLUSIONS Beliefs related to the occupational impact of harm reduction services in terms of officer safety and crime reduction are associated with support for referral to related harm reduction services. Efforts to deflect PWID from carceral systems toward harm reduction by frontline police should include measures to improve officer knowledge and attitudes about harm reduction services as they relate to occupational safety and law enforcement priorities. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT02444403.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter Baker
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA USA
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Jaime Arredondo
- Programa de Política de Drogas, Centro de Investigación Y Docencia Económica, Aguascalientes, Mexico
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Annick Borquez
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Erika Clairgue
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Maria L. Mittal
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA USA
- School of Medicine, Universidad Xochicalco, Tijuana, Baja California México
| | - Mario Morales
- School of Government and Public Policy, University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ USA
| | - Teresita Rocha-Jimenez
- Society and Health Research Center, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
| | - Richard Garfein
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Eyal Oren
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Eileen Pitpitan
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Steffanie A. Strathdee
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Leo Beletsky
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA USA
- School of Law & Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA USA
| | - Javier A. Cepeda
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA USA
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD USA
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Rivera Saldana CD, Abramovitz D, Meacham MC, Gonzalez-Zuniga P, Rafful C, Rangel G, Strathdee SA, Cepeda J. Risk of non-fatal overdose and polysubstance use in a longitudinal study with people who inject drugs in Tijuana, Mexico. Drug Alcohol Rev 2021; 40:1340-1348. [PMID: 34042226 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Among people who inject drugs (PWID), polysubstance use has been associated with fatal and non-fatal overdose (NFOD). However, the risk of overdose due to the cumulative number of various recently used drug types remains unexplored. We estimated the risk of NFOD for different polysubstance use categories among PWID in Tijuana, Mexico. METHODS Data came from 661 participants followed for 2 years in Proyecto El Cuete-IV, an ongoing prospective cohort of PWID. A multivariable Cox model was used to assess the cumulative impact of polysubstance use on the time to NFOD. We used the Cochran-Armitage test to evaluate a dose-response relationship between number of polysubstance use categories and NFOD. RESULTS We observed 115 NFOD among 1029.2 person-years of follow-up (incidence rate: 11.2 per 100 person-years; 95% confidence interval [CI] 9.3-13.3). Relative to those who used one drug class, the adjusted hazard ratio of NFOD for individuals reporting using two drug classes was 1.11 (95% CI 0.69-1.79), three drug classes was 2.00 (95% CI 1.16-3.44) and for those reporting three compared to two was 1.79 (95% CI 1.09-2.97). A significant Cochran-Armitage trend test (P < 0.001) suggested a dose-response relationship. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Polysubstance use was associated with increased risk of NFOD with a dose-response relationship over 2 years. We identified a subgroup of PWID at high risk of NFOD who reported concurrent use of opioids, stimulants and benzodiazepines. Prioritising tailored harm reduction and overdose prevention interventions for PWID who use multiple substances in Tijuana is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos D Rivera Saldana
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA.,School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
| | - Daniela Abramovitz
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Meredith C Meacham
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Patricia Gonzalez-Zuniga
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Claudia Rafful
- Faculty of Psychology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico.,Global Mental Health Research Center, National Institute of Psychiatry, Mexico City, Mexico.,Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Gudelia Rangel
- Department of Population Studies, The College of the Northern Border, Tijuana, Mexico.,United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, Tijuana, Mexico
| | - Steffanie A Strathdee
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Javier Cepeda
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
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Onovo A, Kalaiwo A, Katbi M, Ogorry O, Jaquet A, Keiser O. Geographical Disparities in HIV Seroprevalence Among Men Who Have Sex with Men and People Who Inject Drugs in Nigeria: Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2021; 7:e19587. [PMID: 34028360 PMCID: PMC8185612 DOI: 10.2196/19587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The assessment of geographical heterogeneity of HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) and people who inject drugs (PWID) can usefully inform targeted HIV prevention and care strategies. OBJECTIVE We aimed to measure HIV seroprevalence and identify hotspots of HIV infection among MSM and PWID in Nigeria. METHODS We included all MSM and PWID accessing HIV testing services across 7 prioritized states (Lagos, Nasarawa, Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers, Rivers, Benue, and the Federal Capital Territory) in 3 geographic regions (North Central, South South, and South West) between October 1, 2016, and September 30, 2017. We extracted data from national testing registers, georeferenced all HIV test results aggregated at the local government area level, and calculated HIV seroprevalence. We calculated and compared HIV seroprevalence from our study to the 2014 integrated biological and behavioural surveillance survey and used global spatial autocorrelation and hotspot analysis to highlight patterns of HIV infection and identify areas of significant clustering of HIV cases. RESULTS MSM and PWID had HIV seroprevalence rates of 12.14% (3209/26,423) and 11.88% (1126/9474), respectively. Global spatial autocorrelation Moran I statistics revealed a clustered distribution of HIV infection among MSM and PWID with a <5% and <1% likelihood that this clustered pattern could be due to chance, respectively. Significant clusters of HIV infection (Getis-Ord-Gi* statistics) confined to the North Central and South South regions were identified among MSM and PWID. Compared to the 2014 integrated biological and behavioural surveillance survey, our results suggest an increased HIV seroprevalence among PWID and a substantial decrease among MSM. CONCLUSIONS This study identified geographical areas to prioritize for control of HIV infection among MSM and PWID, thus demonstrating that geographical information system technology is a useful tool to inform public health planning for interventions targeting epidemic control of HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amobi Onovo
- Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- U S Agency for International Development, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Abiye Kalaiwo
- U S Agency for International Development, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Moses Katbi
- U S Agency for International Development, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Otse Ogorry
- The President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief Coordination Office, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Antoine Jaquet
- Institut de Santé Publique d'épidémiologie et de développement, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Olivia Keiser
- Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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20
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Pines HA, Semple SJ, Magis‐Rodríguez C, Harvey‐Vera A, Strathdee SA, Patrick R, Rangel G, Patterson TL. A comparison of the effectiveness of respondent-driven and venue-based sampling for identifying undiagnosed HIV infection among cisgender men who have sex with men and transgender women in Tijuana, Mexico. J Int AIDS Soc 2021; 24:e25688. [PMID: 33759361 PMCID: PMC7987819 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.25688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Efforts to increase HIV testing, diagnosis and care are critical to curbing HIV epidemics among cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW) in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). We compared the effectiveness of respondent-driven sampling (RDS) and venue-based sampling (VBS) for identifying previously undiagnosed HIV infection among MSM and TW in Tijuana, Mexico. METHODS Between March 2015 and December 2018, we conducted RDS within the social networks of MSM and TW and VBS at venues frequented by MSM and TW to socialize and meet sexual partners. Those reached by RDS/VBS who reported at least 18 years of age, anal sex with MSM or TW, and no previous HIV diagnosis were eligible for HIV testing. RESULTS Of those screened following recruitment via RDS (N = 1232; 98.6% MSM; 1.3% TW), 60.8% (749/1232) were eligible for HIV testing and 97.5% (730/749) were tested for HIV infection, which led to the identification of 36 newly diagnosed HIV infections (4.9%). Of those screened following recruitment via VBS (N = 2560; 95.2% MSM; 4.6% TW), 56.5% (1446/2560) were eligible for HIV testing and 92.8% (1342/1446) were tested for HIV infection, which led to the identification of 82 newly diagnosed HIV infections (6.1%). The proportion of new HIV diagnoses did not differ by recruitment method (ratio = 0.81, 95% confidence interval: 0.55 to 1.18). Compared to those recruited via RDS, those tested following recruitment via VBS were younger, more likely to identify as gay, and more likely to identify as TW. Compared to those recruited via VBS, those newly diagnosed with HIV infection following recruitment via RDS reported higher levels of internalized stigma and were more likely to report injection drug use and a history of deportation from the United States. CONCLUSIONS Despite RDS and VBS being equally effective for identifying undiagnosed HIV infection, each recruitment method reached different subgroups of MSM and TW in Tijuana. Our findings suggest that there may be benefits to using both RDS and VBS to increase the identification of previously undiagnosed HIV infection and ultimately support HIV care engagement among MSM and TW in Mexico and other similar LMIC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather A Pines
- Department of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaSan DiegoCAUSA
- Department of Family Medicine and Public HealthUniversity of CaliforniaSan DiegoCAUSA
| | | | | | - Alicia Harvey‐Vera
- Department of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaSan DiegoCAUSA
- Universidad XochicalcoTijuanaMexico
| | | | - Rudy Patrick
- Department of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaSan DiegoCAUSA
| | - Gudelia Rangel
- United States‐Mexico Border Health CommissionTijuanaMexico
- El Colegio de la Frontera NorteTijuanaMexico
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21
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Vrancken B, Mehta SR, Ávila-Ríos S, García-Morales C, Tapia-Trejo D, Reyes-Terán G, Navarro-Álvarez S, Little SJ, Hoenigl M, Pines HA, Patterson T, Strathdee SA, Smith DM, Dellicour S, Chaillon A. Dynamics and Dispersal of Local HIV Epidemics Within San Diego and Across The San Diego-Tijuana Border. Clin Infect Dis 2020; 73:e2018-e2025. [PMID: 33079188 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evolutionary analyses of well-annotated HIV sequence data can provide insights into viral transmission patterns and associated factors. Here, we explored the transmission dynamics of the HIV-1 subtype B epidemic across the San Diego (US) - Tijuana (Mexico) border region to identify factors that could help guide public health policy. METHODS HIV pol sequences were collected from people with HIV in San Diego County and from Tijuana between 1996-2018. A multistep phylogenetic approach was used to characterize the dynamics of spread. The contribution of geospatial factors and HIV risk group to the local dynamics were evaluated. RESULTS Phylogeographic analyses of the 2,034 sequences revealed an important contribution of local transmission in sustaining the epidemic, as well as a complex viral migration network across the region. Geospatial viral dispersal between San Diego communities occurred predominantly among men-who-have-sex with-men with central San Diego being the main source (34.9%) and recipient (39.5%) of migration events. HIV migration was more frequent from San Diego county towards Tijuana than vice versa. Migrations were best explained by driving time between locations. CONCLUSION The US-Mexico border may not be a major barrier to the spread of HIV, which may stimulate coordinated transnational intervention approaches. Whereas a focus on central San Diego has the potential to avert most spread, the substantial viral migration independent of central San Diego shows that county-wide efforts will be more effective. Combined, this work shows that epidemiological information gleaned from pathogen genomes can uncover mechanisms that underlie sustained spread and, in turn, can be a building block of public health decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram Vrancken
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory for Computational and Evolutionary Virology, KU Leuven, Herestraat, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sanjay R Mehta
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, CA
| | - Santiago Ávila-Ríos
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Calzada de Tlalpan, Colonia Sección XVI, CP, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Claudia García-Morales
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Calzada de Tlalpan, Colonia Sección XVI, CP, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniela Tapia-Trejo
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Calzada de Tlalpan, Colonia Sección XVI, CP, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Gustavo Reyes-Terán
- Coordinating Commission of the Mexican National Institutes of Health, Periférico Sur, Arenal Tepepan, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Susan J Little
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, CA
| | - Martin Hoenigl
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, CA
| | - Heather A Pines
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, CA
| | - Thomas Patterson
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, CA
| | - Steffanie A Strathdee
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, CA
| | - Davey M Smith
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, CA
| | - Simon Dellicour
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory for Computational and Evolutionary Virology, KU Leuven, Herestraat, Leuven, Belgium.,Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Université Libre de Bruxelles, av. FD Roosevelt, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Antoine Chaillon
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, CA
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22
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Jain JP, Strathdee SA, Patterson TL, Semple SJ, Harvey-Vera A, Magis-Rodríguez C, Martinez G, Pines HA. Perceived barriers to pre-exposure prophylaxis use and the role of syndemic factors among female sex workers in the Mexico-United States border region: a latent class analysis. AIDS Care 2020; 32:557-566. [PMID: 31163975 PMCID: PMC6891112 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2019.1626338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Female sex workers (FSWs) experience syndemic factors (e.g., polydrug use, hazardous alcohol consumption, client-perpetrated violence, depression, and sexually transmitted infections) that often heighten vulnerability to HIV and limit healthcare utilization. We hypothesized that syndemic factors will limit FSWs' uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). From 2016 to 2017, 295 HIV-negative FSWs were enrolled in a behavioral HIV prevention trial in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, underwent STI testing, and completed surveys on syndemic factors and perceived barriers to PrEP use. Syndemic scores (0-5) were calculated by summing syndemic factors. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify homogeneous classes with respect to perceived barriers to PrEP use. We identified four classes: (1) perceived healthcare access barriers (8.3%), (2) perceived financial barriers (18.7%), (3) high level of perceived barriers (19.9%), and (4) low level of perceived barriers (53.0%) to PrEP use. Those experiencing three (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.24-10.67) and four or five (aOR = 6.30, 95% CI = 1.70-23.35) syndemic factors had a higher odds of membership in the class characterized by a high level of perceived barriers than in the class characterized by a low level of perceived barriers. Addressing syndemic factors may maximize PrEP's impact among FSWs along Mexico's northern border.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer P. Jain
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | | | - Thomas L. Patterson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Shirley J. Semple
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Alicia Harvey-Vera
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Carlos Magis-Rodríguez
- Centro Nacional para la Prevención del VIH/SIDA (CENSIDA), Ministry of Health, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Gustavo Martinez
- Federación Mexicana de Asociaciones Privadas, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
| | - Heather A. Pines
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, USA
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23
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West BS, Abramovitz DA, Gonzalez-Zuniga P, Rangel G, Werb D, Cepeda J, Beletsky L, Strathdee SA. Drugs, discipline and death: Causes and predictors of mortality among people who inject drugs in Tijuana, 2011-2018. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2020; 75:102601. [PMID: 31775080 PMCID: PMC6957706 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People who inject drugs (PWID) experience multiple risk factors for mortality; yet, we know little about causes of death among PWID in Tijuana, Mexico, an area with high levels of injecting and changes in policy/law enforcement responses to substance use. This study examines rates, causes, and predictors of mortality among Tijuana PWID. METHODS Data come from a community-based cohort of PWID aged ≥18 who injected drugs in the past month. Mortality was confirmed by death certificate over 78 months during 2011-2018. Predictors of mortality were identified using time-updated Cox regression, controlling for age. RESULTS Among 734 participants, there were 130 deaths (54 confirmed, 76 unconfirmed), with an incidence rate of 17.74 deaths per 1000 person-years for confirmed deaths (95% Confidence Interval (CI)=13.01, 22.48) and 39.52 for unconfirmed deaths (CI=32.72, 46.31). Confirmed deaths resulted from homicide/trauma (26%), overdose (26%), septic shock (18%) and HIV-related causes (9%). In multivariable analysis of confirmed deaths, baseline HIV seropositivity (adjusted Hazard Ratio [aHR]=6.77, CI=1.98, 23.17), incident HIV infection (aHR=3.19, CI=1.02, 9.96), and number of times being beaten by police in the past 6 months at baseline (aHR=1.08 per time, CI=1.04, 1.12) were predictive of death; whereas, injection cessation for 6+ months during time at risk (aHR=0.25, CI=0.33, 0.79) was protective. CONCLUSION In addition to overdose and HIV prevention efforts, attention to structural conditions that potentiate mortality is needed, including improved access to medication-assisted treatment to support injection cessation and a shift from police as a source of harm to harm reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke S West
- School of Social Work, Columbia University, 1255 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, United States; Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States.
| | - Daniela A Abramovitz
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Patricia Gonzalez-Zuniga
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | | | - Dan Werb
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Javier Cepeda
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Leo Beletsky
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States; Northeastern University School of Law and Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Steffanie A Strathdee
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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Heckert C. Syndemics in Symbiotic Cities: Pathogenic Policy and the Production of Health Inequity across Borders. JOURNAL OF BORDERLANDS STUDIES 2019; 37:37-55. [PMID: 35321446 PMCID: PMC8937002 DOI: 10.1080/08865655.2019.1700823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Carina Heckert
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, The University of Texas at El Paso
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25
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Patrick R, Jain J, Harvey-Vera A, Semple SJ, Rangel G, Patterson TL, Pines HA. Perceived barriers to pre-exposure prophylaxis use among HIV-negative men who have sex with men in Tijuana, Mexico: A latent class analysis. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221558. [PMID: 31437243 PMCID: PMC6705824 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Given the slow uptake of PrEP among cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) in high-income countries, efforts to roll-out PrEP in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) should address barriers to PrEP use to facilitate its more rapid uptake. To inform PrEP programs in LMIC, we examined patterns of perceived barriers to PrEP use among HIV-negative MSM in Tijuana, Mexico. METHODS From 03/2016-09/2017, 364 MSM completed interviewer-administered surveys assessing perceived barriers to PrEP use across 4 domains: PrEP attribute, individual, interpersonal, and structural. Latent class analysis was performed to identify distinct classes with respect to perceived barriers to PrEP use. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with class membership. RESULTS We identified three classes characterized by (1) high levels of perceived barriers across domains (12%), (2) low levels of perceived barriers across domains (43%), and (3) perceived PrEP attribute barriers (i.e., side-effects and cost) (45%). Membership in the high level of perceived barriers class (vs. the low level of perceived barriers class) was positively associated with having a history of incarceration (AOR: 2.44; 95% CI: 1.04, 5.73) and negatively associated with more social support (AOR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.00). Membership in the perceived PrEP attribute barriers class was positively associated with having seen a healthcare provider in the past year (AOR: 2.78; 95% CI: 1.41, 5.45) and negatively associated with having any HIV-positive or status unknown partners (AOR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.31, 1.01). CONCLUSIONS Since most participants were in either the low level of perceived barriers class or the perceived PrEP attribute barriers class, future PrEP uptake may be high among MSM in Tijuana. However, these findings suggest that achieving sufficient PrEP uptake and adherence among MSM in Tijuana may require a range of comprehensive HIV prevention interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudy Patrick
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Jain
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Alicia Harvey-Vera
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Shirley J. Semple
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Gudelia Rangel
- US-Mexico Border Health Commission, Tijuana, Mexico
- El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Tijuana, Mexico
| | - Thomas L. Patterson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Heather A. Pines
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
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Semple SJ, Pitpitan EV, Pines HA, Harvey-Vera A, Martinez G, Rangel MG, Strathdee SA, Patterson TL. Hazardous Alcohol Consumption Moderates the Relationship Between Safer Sex Maintenance Strategies and Condomless Sex With Clients Among Female Sex Workers in Mexico. HEALTH EDUCATION & BEHAVIOR 2019; 47:14-23. [DOI: 10.1177/1090198119869971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the relationship between cognitive and behavioral processes and long-term behavior change is critical to developing behavior change maintenance interventions. We examined the relationship between cognitive and behavioral safer sex maintenance strategies and condomless vaginal/anal sex with clients among female sex workers (FSWs) in Mexico. We hypothesized a moderating effect of hazardous alcohol use, such that the relationship between the use of safer sex maintenance strategies and condomless sex would be weaker among FSWs who meet criteria for hazardous alcohol consumption. Data were gathered from 602 FSWs enrolled in a sexual risk reduction intervention with a text messaging maintenance component. Seven cognitive and behavioral strategies purported to be critical in sustaining long-term behavior change were measured (e.g., maintenance self-efficacy). The relationship between FSWs’ use of safer sex maintenance strategies and condomless vaginal/anal sex with clients was moderated by hazardous alcohol consumption. The association was weaker among FSWs who met criteria for hazardous alcohol consumption. Among FSWs who met criteria for hazardous alcohol consumption, maintenance self-efficacy was associated with fewer condomless sex acts with clients ( b = −0.35, p < .001). Among FSWs who did not meet criteria for hazardous alcohol consumption, recovery self-efficacy ( b = −0.21, p < .05) and self-monitoring ( b = −0.34, p < .001) were associated with fewer acts of condomless sex. Results indicate the importance of examining the multidimensional nature of safer sex maintenance strategies and of exploring subgroup differences in their associations with behavioral outcomes. Interventions that address safer sex maintenance strategies in the context of alcohol treatment should be developed for this subgroup of FSWs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Gustavo Martinez
- Federación Méxicana de Asociaciones Privadas (FEMAP), Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
| | - M. Gudelia Rangel
- U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
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Rocha-Jiménez T, Mittal ML, Artamonova I, Baker P, Cepeda J, Morales M, Abramovitz D, Clairgue E, Bañuelos A, Patterson T, Strathdee S, Beletsky L. The Role of Gender in the Health and Human Rights Practices of Police: The SHIELD Study in Tijuana, Mexico. Health Hum Rights 2019; 21:227-238. [PMID: 31239629 PMCID: PMC6586956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, punitive drug law enforcement drives human rights violations. Drug control tactics, such as syringe confiscation and drug-related arrests, also cascade into health harms among people who use drugs. The role of police officer characteristics in shaping such enforcement and measures to reform police practices remains underexamined. We evaluated gender differences in syringe confiscation and syringe-related arrest behaviors among municipal police officers in Tijuana, Mexico, where syringe possession is legal. In the context of the SHIELD Study focusing on aligning policing with harm reduction measures, our baseline sample covered municipal police officers who reported having occupational contact with syringes. We used multivariable logistic regression with robust variance estimation via a generalized estimating equation to identify correlates of syringe-related policing behaviors. Among respondent officers (n=1,555), 12% were female. After considering possible confounding variables, such as district of service and work experience, female officers were significantly less likely to report confiscating syringes or arresting individuals for syringe possession. Consideration of officer gender is important in the design of interventions to improve the health and human rights of people who inject drugs and other highly policed groups, as well as measures to safeguard officer occupational safety. The feminization of law enforcement deserves special consideration as an imperative in reducing the public health harms of policing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresita Rocha-Jiménez
- Research associate at the University of California San Diego’s Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health and a fellow at the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies, University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Maria Luisa Mittal
- Project scientist at the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, USA
| | | | - Pieter Baker
- PhD student and research associate at the University of California San Diego and San Diego State University, USA
| | - Javier Cepeda
- Assistant professor at the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Mario Morales
- Research assistant at the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Daniela Abramovitz
- Principal statistician at the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Erika Clairgue
- Research program manager at the University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Arnulfo Bañuelos
- Research liaison at the Secretaría de Seguridad Pública Municipal, department of special planning and projects, Tijuana, Mexico
| | - Thomas Patterson
- Distinguished professor of psychiatry at the University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Steffanie Strathdee
- Associate dean of global health sciences, Harold Simon Professor at the University of California San Diego Department of Medicine, and principal investigator at Project ESCUDO
| | - Leo Beletsky
- Professor at the School of Law and Bouvé College of�Health Sciences, Northeastern University, and an associate adjunct professor at the University of California San Diego, USA
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28
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Pepper N, Zúñiga ML, Reed MB. Prevalence and correlates of "popper" (amyl nitrite inhalant) use among HIV-positive Latinos living in the U.S.-Mexico border region. J Ethn Subst Abuse 2019; 19:435-452. [PMID: 30614780 DOI: 10.1080/15332640.2018.1540955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Poppers (nitrite inhalants) are legal, commonly used by men who have sex with men, and associated with HIV acquisition, yet research is lacking on popper use and associated adverse outcomes. People living with HIV (PLWH) in the U.S.-Mexico border region lead binational lives, including accessing care and having sex and drug use partners on both sides of the border, with broad personal and public health implications. Understanding popper use provides crucial information to guide policy and develop targeted interventions for binational PLWH. We examine prevalence and correlates of popper use among HIV-positive Latinos in the border region, an underserved population at risk for poor health outcomes. This cross-sectional study recruited a convenience sample from agencies in San Diego and Tijuana to complete quantitative surveys. Participants (N = 121) were primarily male (82.6%) and gay/bisexual (62%). Lifetime substance use (excluding cannabis) was reported by 72% of participants, and 25.6% reported lifetime popper use. Individuals recruited in the U.S. were significantly more likely to report use of poppers than were participants recruited in Mexico. Our regression model found that identifying as gay/bisexual and having bought, sold, or traded sex for money, drugs, or other goods were independently associated with popper use. Findings shed light on the profile of individuals who use poppers and lay the foundation for further research to understand the context of popper use as it relates to high-risk behavior among PLWH in this region of high transborder mobility. Binational collaborative approaches are needed to improve regional HIV care outcomes and reduce transmission risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Pepper
- School of Social Work, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - María Luisa Zúñiga
- School of Social Work, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Mark B Reed
- School of Social Work, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
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Frankeberger J, Cepeda A, Natera-Rey G, Valdez A. Safer Crack Kits and Smoking Practices: Effectiveness of a Harm Reduction Intervention among Active Crack Users in Mexico City. Subst Use Misuse 2019; 54:592-600. [PMID: 30654689 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2018.1528460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Crack cocaine use has increased rapidly throughout Mexico, coinciding with rising HIV and HCV infections among vulnerable groups. Due to the increased risk of infection among crack users, harm reduction approaches have been identified to reduce the spread of disease. However, Mexico has yet to adopt these techniques for crack users. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the impact of a pilot crack kit distribution program on risky smoking behaviors of active crack users in an impoverished colonia of Mexico City, Mexico. METHODS Fifty crack kits, containing safer smoking paraphernalia and related health items (i.e., condoms, alcohol wipes, etc.), were distributed to active crack users. A sample of 58 crack users were surveyed prior to the intervention and 35 were successfully relocated and surveyed three months after the intervention. Surveys assessed drug use, crack kit utilization, and smoking practices. RESULTS Findings indicate that crack kit utilization was high throughout the sample. Use of risky or unsafe paraphernalia decreased, specifically the use of cans as pipes (Z = -2.653, p = .008). Similarly, Pyrex pipe use increased significantly (Z = -3.132, p = .002). Sharing of paraphernalia also decreased throughout the sample. CONCLUSION These findings identify the potential benefits in reducing risky smoking behaviors of crack kit distribution programs in Mexico City. This evidence supports expansion of crack kit programs in Mexico and similar impoverished regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Frankeberger
- a Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA, USA
| | - Alice Cepeda
- a Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA, USA
| | | | - Avelardo Valdez
- a Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA, USA
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Mittal ML, Guise A, Rafful C, Gonzalez-Zuñiga P, Davidson P, Vashishtha D, Strathdee SA, Werb D. "Another Person Was Going to Do It": The Provision of Injection Drug Use Initiation Assistance in a High-Risk U.S.-Mexico Border Region. Subst Use Misuse 2019; 54:2338-2350. [PMID: 31389282 PMCID: PMC6883155 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2019.1648514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Background: Persons who inject drugs (PWID) play a key role in assisting others' initiation into injection drug use (IDU). We aimed to explore the pathways and socio-structural contexts for this phenomenon in Tijuana, Mexico, a border setting marked by a large PWID population with limited access to health and social services. Methods: Preventing Injecting by Modifying Existing Responses (PRIMER) is a multi-cohort study assessing socio-structural factors associated with PWID assisting others into initiating IDU. Semi-structured qualitative interviews in Tijuana included participants ≥18 years old, who reported IDU within the month prior to cohort enrollment and ever initiating others into IDU. Purposive sampling ensured a range of drug use experiences and behaviors related to injection initiation assistance. Thematic analysis was used to develop recurring and significant data categories. Results: Twenty-one participants were interviewed (8 women, 13 men). Broadly, participants considered public injection to increase curiosity about IDU. Many considered transitioning into IDU as inevitable. Emergent themes included providing assistance to mitigate overdose risk and to protect initiates from being taken advantage of by others. Participants described reluctance in engaging in this process. For some, access to resources (e.g., shared drugs or a monetary fee) was a motivator to initiate others. Conclusion: In Tijuana, public injection and a lack of harm reduction services are perceived to fuel the incidence of IDU initiation and to incentivize PWID to assist in injection initiation. IDU prevention efforts should address structural factors driving PWID participation in IDU initiation while including PWID in their development and implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria L Mittal
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Xochicalco, Tijuana, Mexico
| | - Andrew Guise
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College, London, UK
| | - Claudia Rafful
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Patricia Gonzalez-Zuñiga
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Peter Davidson
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Devesh Vashishtha
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Steffanie A Strathdee
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Dan Werb
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Goodman-Meza D, Medina-Mora ME, Magis-Rodríguez C, Landovitz RJ, Shoptaw S, Werb D. Where Is the Opioid Use Epidemic in Mexico? A Cautionary Tale for Policymakers South of the US-Mexico Border. Am J Public Health 2018; 109:73-82. [PMID: 30495992 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2018.304767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
In North America, opioid use and its harms have increased in the United States and Canada over the past 2 decades. However, Mexico has yet to document patterns suggesting a higher level of opioid use or attendant harms.Historically, Mexico has been a country with low-level use of opioids, although heroin use has been documented. Low-level opioid use is likely attributable to structural, cultural, and individual factors. However, a range of dynamic factors may be converging to increase the use of opioids: legislative changes to opioid prescribing, national health insurance coverage of opioids, pressure from the pharmaceutical industry, changing demographics and disease burden, forced migration and its trauma, and an increase in the production and trafficking of heroin. In addition, harm-reduction services are scarce.Mexico may transition from a country of low opioid use to high opioid use but has the opportunity to respond effectively through a combination of targeted public health surveillance of high-risk groups, preparation of appropriate infrastructure to support evidence-based treatment, and interventions and policies to avoid a widespread opioid use epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Goodman-Meza
- David Goodman-Meza and Raphael J. Landovitz are with Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Raphael J. Landovitz is also with Center for Clinical AIDS Research and Education, Los Angeles. Maria Elena Medina-Mora is with Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City, Mexico. Carlos Magis-Rodríguez is with National Center for the Prevention and Control of HIV and AIDS, Mexico City. Steve Shoptaw is with Department of Family Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dan Werb is with Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Maria Elena Medina-Mora
- David Goodman-Meza and Raphael J. Landovitz are with Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Raphael J. Landovitz is also with Center for Clinical AIDS Research and Education, Los Angeles. Maria Elena Medina-Mora is with Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City, Mexico. Carlos Magis-Rodríguez is with National Center for the Prevention and Control of HIV and AIDS, Mexico City. Steve Shoptaw is with Department of Family Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dan Werb is with Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Carlos Magis-Rodríguez
- David Goodman-Meza and Raphael J. Landovitz are with Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Raphael J. Landovitz is also with Center for Clinical AIDS Research and Education, Los Angeles. Maria Elena Medina-Mora is with Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City, Mexico. Carlos Magis-Rodríguez is with National Center for the Prevention and Control of HIV and AIDS, Mexico City. Steve Shoptaw is with Department of Family Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dan Werb is with Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Raphael J Landovitz
- David Goodman-Meza and Raphael J. Landovitz are with Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Raphael J. Landovitz is also with Center for Clinical AIDS Research and Education, Los Angeles. Maria Elena Medina-Mora is with Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City, Mexico. Carlos Magis-Rodríguez is with National Center for the Prevention and Control of HIV and AIDS, Mexico City. Steve Shoptaw is with Department of Family Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dan Werb is with Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Steve Shoptaw
- David Goodman-Meza and Raphael J. Landovitz are with Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Raphael J. Landovitz is also with Center for Clinical AIDS Research and Education, Los Angeles. Maria Elena Medina-Mora is with Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City, Mexico. Carlos Magis-Rodríguez is with National Center for the Prevention and Control of HIV and AIDS, Mexico City. Steve Shoptaw is with Department of Family Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dan Werb is with Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Dan Werb
- David Goodman-Meza and Raphael J. Landovitz are with Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Raphael J. Landovitz is also with Center for Clinical AIDS Research and Education, Los Angeles. Maria Elena Medina-Mora is with Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City, Mexico. Carlos Magis-Rodríguez is with National Center for the Prevention and Control of HIV and AIDS, Mexico City. Steve Shoptaw is with Department of Family Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dan Werb is with Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
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Page KR, Grieb SD, Nieves-Lugo K, Yamanis T, Taylor H, Martinez O, Yamasaki Y, Limaye R, Davis W, Beyrer C, Zea MC. Enhanced immigration enforcement in the USA and the transnational continuity of HIV care for Latin American immigrants in deportation proceedings. Lancet HIV 2018; 5:e597-e604. [PMID: 29997050 PMCID: PMC6211169 DOI: 10.1016/s2352-3018(18)30074-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In our work as clinicians, researchers, and immigrant rights advocates, we have noted increased anxiety about the possibility of deportation and disruptions in care among immigrants with HIV. Before the 2016 US elections, patients rarely asked about HIV treatment in their home countries. However, since the increase in anti-immigrant rhetoric and arrests by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, patients have voiced concerns about the availability of HIV treatment in their home countries much more frequently. Although antiretroviral therapy is available throughout Latin America, access depends on economic, social, and political circumstances. Maintaining uninterrupted continuity of care among immigrants held in detention or deported to their home countries is challenging. In this Viewpoint, we identify periods of particular vulnerability for immigrants during deportation proceedings, from initial detention to deposition in their country of origin. We discuss the effect of enhanced immigration enforcement on the health and wellbeing of HIV-infected immigrants, and on public health. Finally, we also discuss recommendations for clinicians, immigration authorities, and public health institutions in the USA and in receiving countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen R Page
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Suzanne Dolwick Grieb
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Holly Taylor
- Bloomberg Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Rupali Limaye
- Bloomberg Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Chris Beyrer
- Bloomberg Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Morales M, Rafful C, Gaines TL, Cepeda JA, Abramovitz D, Artamonova I, Baker P, Clairgue E, Mittal ML, Rocha-Jimenez T, Arredondo J, Kerr T, Bañuelos A, Strathdee SA, Beletsky L. Factors associated with extrajudicial arrest for syringe possession: results of a department-wide survey of municipal police in Tijuana, Mexico. BMC INTERNATIONAL HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS 2018; 18:36. [PMID: 30219105 PMCID: PMC6139125 DOI: 10.1186/s12914-018-0175-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Background Mexican law permits syringe purchase and possession without prescription. Nonetheless, people who inject drugs (PWID) frequently report arrest for syringe possession. Extrajudicial arrests not only violate human rights, but also significantly increase the risk of blood-borne infection transmission and other health harms among PWID and police personnel. To better understand how police practices contribute to the PWID risk environment, prior research has primarily examined drug user perspectives and experiences. This study focuses on municipal police officers (MPOs) in Tijuana, Mexico to identify factors associated with self-reported arrests for syringe possession. Methods Participants were active police officers aged ≥18 years, who completed a self-administered questionnaire on knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to occupational safety, drug laws, and harm reduction strategies. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression was used to identify correlates of recent syringe possession arrest. Results Among 1044 MPOs, nearly half (47.9%) reported always/sometimes making arrests for syringe possession (previous 6mo). Factors independently associated with more frequent arrest included being male (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 1.62; 95% Confidence Interval [95% CI] =1.04–2.52; working in a district along Tijuana River Canal (where PWID congregate) (AOR = 2.85; 95%CI = 2.16–3.77); having recently experienced a physical altercation with PWID (AOR = 2.83; 95% CI = 2.15–3.74); and having recently referred PWID to social and health services (AOR = 1.97; 95% CI = 1.48–2.61). Conversely, odds were significantly lower among officers reporting knowing that syringe possession is legal (AOR = 0.61; 95% CI = 0.46–0.82). Conclusions Police and related criminal justice stakeholders (e.g., municipal judges, prosecutors) play a key role in shaping PWID risk environment. Findings highlight the urgent need for structural interventions to reduce extra-judicial syringe possession arrests. Police training, increasing gender and other forms of diversity, and policy reforms at various governmental and institutional levels are necessary to reduce police occupational risks, improve knowledge of drug laws, and facilitate harm reduction strategies that promote human rights and community health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Morales
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, San Diego, California, 92093, USA
| | - Claudia Rafful
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, San Diego, California, 92093, USA.,Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Tommi L Gaines
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, San Diego, California, 92093, USA
| | - Javier A Cepeda
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, San Diego, California, 92093, USA
| | - Daniela Abramovitz
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, San Diego, California, 92093, USA
| | - Irina Artamonova
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, San Diego, California, 92093, USA
| | - Pieter Baker
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, San Diego, California, 92093, USA
| | - Erika Clairgue
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, San Diego, California, 92093, USA
| | - Maria Luisa Mittal
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, San Diego, California, 92093, USA.,School of Medicine, Universidad Xochicalco, 4850 Calle Rampa Yumalinda, Chapultepec Alamar, 22110, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Teresita Rocha-Jimenez
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, San Diego, California, 92093, USA.,School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, California, 92182, USA
| | - Jaime Arredondo
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, San Diego, California, 92093, USA.,School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, California, 92182, USA
| | - Thomas Kerr
- Center of Excellence in HIV/AIDS, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Arnulfo Bañuelos
- Department of Planning and Special Projects, Secretaría de Seguridad Pública Municipal, 2141 Blvd Cuauhtémoc Sur y Río Suchiate, 22015, Tijuana, Mexico
| | - Steffanie A Strathdee
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, San Diego, California, 92093, USA
| | - Leo Beletsky
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, San Diego, California, 92093, USA. .,Health in Justice Action Lab, School of Law and Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, 02115, USA.
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Pines HA, Semple SJ, Strathdee SA, Hendrix CW, Harvey-Vera A, Gorbach PM, Magis-Rodríguez C, Martinez G, Patterson TL. Vaginal washing and lubrication among female sex workers in the Mexico-US border region: implications for the development of vaginal PrEP for HIV prevention. BMC Public Health 2018; 18:1009. [PMID: 30107833 PMCID: PMC6092873 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-5946-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background To assess the potential acceptability and inform the development of behaviorally-congruent vaginal douche- or gel-based HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) products, we examined vaginal washing and lubrication practices among female sex workers (FSWs) in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, two northern Mexico cities bordering the United States (US). Methods Two hundred and ninety-five HIV-negative FSWs (145 Tijuana; 150 Ciudad Juarez) enrolled in a behavioral HIV prevention intervention trial completed surveys assessing vaginal washing and lubrication practices, as well as motivators and barriers to performing each practice. Logistic regression was used to identify potential predictors of each practice in the past month. Results In the past month, vaginal washing was performed by 56 and 22% of FSWs in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez (p < 0.0001), respectively, while vaginal lubrication was performed by 64 and 45% of FSWs in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez (p = 0.001), respectively. Vaginal washing was positively associated with living in Tijuana (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.35, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.60–7.30), older age (AOR = 1.04 per year, 95% CI: 1.01–1.06), and vaginal lubrication (AOR = 2.99, 95% CI: 1.67–5.35), while it was negatively associated with being born in the same state as the study site (AOR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.31–0.82), earning a monthly income ≥3500 pesos (AOR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.28–1.00), and hazardous alcohol consumption (AOR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.33–0.95). Vaginal lubrication was positively associated with living in Tijuana (AOR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.37–3.54) and vaginal washing (AOR = 2.91, 95% CI: 1.64–5.18), while it was negatively associated with being born in the same state as the study site (AOR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.29–0.75). Conclusions The moderate and high prevalence of vaginal washing and lubrication, respectively, suggest behaviorally-congruent, multi-purpose, vaginal douche- and gel-based PrEP products that simultaneously address FSWs’ needs and prevent HIV infection may be acceptable to many FSWs along the Mexico-US border. Future product development and implementation should also consider the link between vaginal washing and lubrication to ensure existing practices do not undermine vaginal PrEP product effectiveness. Trial registration ClincialTrials.gov (NCT02447484). Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-018-5946-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather A Pines
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
| | - Shirley J Semple
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0680, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Steffanie A Strathdee
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Craig W Hendrix
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Alicia Harvey-Vera
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Pamina M Gorbach
- Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles, 650 Charles E Young Drive S, BOX 951772, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Carlos Magis-Rodríguez
- Centro Nacional para la Prevención y Control del VIH/SIDA (CENSIDA) Ministry of Health, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Gustavo Martinez
- Federacion Mexicana de Asociaciones Privadas, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
| | - Thomas L Patterson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0680, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
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Horyniak D, Pinedo M, Burgos JL, Ojeda VD. Relationships Between Integration and Drug Use Among Deported Migrants in Tijuana, Mexico. J Immigr Minor Health 2018; 19:1196-1206. [PMID: 27778138 DOI: 10.1007/s10903-016-0518-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Deported migrants face numerous challenges which may elevate their risk for drug use. We examined relationships between integration and drug use among deported migrants in Tijuana, Mexico. A cross-sectional survey conducted at a free health clinic included 255 deported Mexican-born migrants residing in Tijuana ≥6 months. Multivariable logistic regression examined associations between variables across four integration domains (public participation, social connections, macro-level facilitators and foundations) and recent (past 6-month) drug use. The prevalence of recent drug use was 46 %. Having sought work in Tijuana in the past 6 months, greater household affluence, lifetime history of incarceration in both US and Mexico, and lacking health insurance were independently associated with recent drug use. Policies that support access to employment, adequate housing and healthcare in Mexico, particularly for justice-involved deportees, may facilitate successful integration and reduce potential stressors that may contribute to drug use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Horyniak
- Division of Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Miguel Pinedo
- Alcohol Research Group, University of California Berkeley, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
| | - Jose Luis Burgos
- Division of Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Victoria D Ojeda
- Division of Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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Boyce SC, Brouwer KC, Triplett D, Servin AE, Magis-Rodriguez C, Silverman JG. Childhood Experiences of Sexual Violence, Pregnancy, and Marriage Associated With Child Sex Trafficking Among Female Sex Workers in Two US-Mexico Border Cities. Am J Public Health 2018; 108:1049-1054. [PMID: 29927652 PMCID: PMC6050823 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2018.304455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To quantitatively assess the relationships of childhood experiences of marriage, pregnancy, and sexual violence with underage sex trafficking. METHODS Cross-sectional survey data from a population-based sample of 603 female sex workers from Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, were collected in 2013 and 2014, and we analyzed the data to evaluate relationships between pregnancy, marriage, and sexual violence when younger than 16 years, and child sex trafficking. RESULTS Adjusted odds of child sex trafficking among those who experienced pregnancy, marriage, and childhood sexual violence when younger than 16 years in combined models were 2.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.8, 4.3), 1.7 (95% CI = 0.99, 2.8), and 1.7 (95% CI = 1.01, 3.0), respectively, relative to others (n = 603). For 89.8%, 78.0%, and 97.0% of those who had an experience of pregnancy (n = 69), marriage (n = 50), or sexual violence (n = 33) when younger than 16 years, respectively, the experience occurred before or the same year as sex trafficking. CONCLUSIONS These results provide empirical evidence of modifiable risk factors for child sex trafficking that could be integrated into the prevention efforts and protocols of health clinics and governmental agencies in Mexico currently working to reduce underage pregnancy, marriage, and sexual violence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina C Boyce
- At the time of the study, Sabrina C. Boyce, Daniel Triplett, Argentina E. Servin, and Jay G. Silverman were affiliated with the Center on Gender Equity and Health, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla. Kimberly C. Brouwer was with the School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego. Carlos Magis-Rodriguez was with the National Center for the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, Ministry of Health, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Kimberly C Brouwer
- At the time of the study, Sabrina C. Boyce, Daniel Triplett, Argentina E. Servin, and Jay G. Silverman were affiliated with the Center on Gender Equity and Health, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla. Kimberly C. Brouwer was with the School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego. Carlos Magis-Rodriguez was with the National Center for the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, Ministry of Health, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniel Triplett
- At the time of the study, Sabrina C. Boyce, Daniel Triplett, Argentina E. Servin, and Jay G. Silverman were affiliated with the Center on Gender Equity and Health, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla. Kimberly C. Brouwer was with the School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego. Carlos Magis-Rodriguez was with the National Center for the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, Ministry of Health, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Argentina E Servin
- At the time of the study, Sabrina C. Boyce, Daniel Triplett, Argentina E. Servin, and Jay G. Silverman were affiliated with the Center on Gender Equity and Health, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla. Kimberly C. Brouwer was with the School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego. Carlos Magis-Rodriguez was with the National Center for the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, Ministry of Health, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Carlos Magis-Rodriguez
- At the time of the study, Sabrina C. Boyce, Daniel Triplett, Argentina E. Servin, and Jay G. Silverman were affiliated with the Center on Gender Equity and Health, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla. Kimberly C. Brouwer was with the School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego. Carlos Magis-Rodriguez was with the National Center for the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, Ministry of Health, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jay G Silverman
- At the time of the study, Sabrina C. Boyce, Daniel Triplett, Argentina E. Servin, and Jay G. Silverman were affiliated with the Center on Gender Equity and Health, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla. Kimberly C. Brouwer was with the School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego. Carlos Magis-Rodriguez was with the National Center for the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, Ministry of Health, Mexico City, Mexico
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Melo JS, Mittal ML, Horyniak D, Strathdee SA, Werb D. Injection Drug Use Trajectories among Migrant Populations: A Narrative Review. Subst Use Misuse 2018; 53:1558-1570. [PMID: 29364762 PMCID: PMC6033671 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2017.1416404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dual epidemics of injection drug use and blood-borne disease, characterized as "syndemics," are present in a range of settings. Behaviors that drive such syndemics are particularly prevalent among mobile drug-using populations, for whom cross-border migration may pose additional risks. OBJECTIVES This narrative review aims to characterize the risk factors for injection drug use initiation associated with migration, employing a risk environment framework and focusing on the San Diego-Tijuana border region as the most dynamic example of these phenomena. METHODS Based on previous literature, we divide migration streams into three classes: intra-urban, internal, and international. We synthesized existing literature on migration and drug use to characterize how mobility and migration drive the initiation of injection drug use, as well as the transmission of hepatitis and HIV, and to delineate how these might be addressed through public health intervention. RESULTS Population mixing between migrants and receiving communities and the consequent transmission of social norms about injection drug use create risk environments for injection drug use initiation. These risk environments have been characterized as a result of local policy environments, injection drug use norms in receiving communities, migration-related stressors, social dislocation, and infringement on the rights of undocumented migrants. CONCLUSION Policies that exacerbate risk environments for migrants may inadvertently contribute to the expansion of epidemics of injection-driven blood-borne disease. Successful interventions that address emerging syndemics in border regions may therefore need to be tailored to migrant populations and distinguish between the vulnerabilities experienced by different migration classes and border settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S Melo
- a Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California , USA
| | - Maria Luisa Mittal
- a Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California , USA.,b School of Medicine, Universidad Xochicalco , Tijuana , Baja California , Mexico
| | - Danielle Horyniak
- a Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California , USA.,c Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute , Melbourne , Victoria , Australia.,d School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University , Melbourne , Victoria , Australia
| | - Steffanie A Strathdee
- a Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California , USA
| | - Dan Werb
- a Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California , USA.,e Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital , Toronto , Ontario , Canada
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Weir SS, Baral SD, Edwards JK, Zadrozny S, Hargreaves J, Zhao J, Sabin K. Opportunities for Enhanced Strategic Use of Surveys, Medical Records, and Program Data for HIV Surveillance of Key Populations: Scoping Review. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2018; 4:e28. [PMID: 29789279 PMCID: PMC5989065 DOI: 10.2196/publichealth.8042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Normative guidelines from the World Health Organization recommend tracking strategic information indicators among key populations. Monitoring progress in the global response to the HIV epidemic uses indicators put forward by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. These include the 90-90-90 targets that require a realignment of surveillance data, routinely collected program data, and medical record data, which historically have developed separately. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to describe current challenges for monitoring HIV-related strategic information indicators among key populations ((men who have sex with men [MSM], people in prisons and other closed settings, people who inject drugs, sex workers, and transgender people) and identify future opportunities to enhance the use of surveillance data, programmatic data, and medical record data to describe the HIV epidemic among key populations and measure the coverage of HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs. METHODS To provide a historical perspective, we completed a scoping review of the expansion of HIV surveillance among key populations over the past three decades. To describe current efforts, we conducted a review of the literature to identify published examples of SI indicator estimates among key populations. To describe anticipated challenges and future opportunities to improve measurement of strategic information indicators, particularly from routine program and health data, we consulted participants of the Third Global HIV Surveillance Meeting in Bangkok, where the 2015 World Health Organization strategic information guidelines were launched. RESULTS There remains suboptimal alignment of surveillance and programmatic data, as well as routinely collected medical records to facilitate the reporting of the 90-90-90 indicators for HIV among key populations. Studies (n=3) with estimates of all three 90-90-90 indicators rely on cross-sectional survey data. Programmatic data and medical record data continue to be insufficiently robust to provide estimates of the 90-90-90 targets for key populations. CONCLUSIONS Current reliance on more active data collection processes, including key population-specific surveys, remains warranted until the quality and validity of passively collected routine program and medical record data for key populations is optimized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Stucker Weir
- Carolina Population Center, Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Stefan D Baral
- Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jessie K Edwards
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Sabrina Zadrozny
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - James Hargreaves
- Department of Social and Environmental Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jinkou Zhao
- Technical.Advice and Partnerships Department, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Keith Sabin
- Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, Geneva, Switzerland
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Motherhood and Risk for Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Female Sex Workers in the Mexico-US Border Region. Sex Transm Dis 2018; 44:477-482. [PMID: 28703726 DOI: 10.1097/olq.0000000000000634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Globally, female sex workers (FSWs) have been identified as a high-risk group for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, as women of reproductive age, FSWs also have children. Few studies have investigated if financial responsibilities associated with motherhood increase women's vulnerability to HIV and STIs among FSWs. METHODS From March 2013 to March 2014, 603 FSWs aged ≥18 years were recruited from Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez (Mexico) to participate in a study assessing HIV/STI risk environments. RESULTS Findings from logistic regression models indicate that FSWs who reported motherhood were more likely to report (in the past 30 days): a higher client volume (>30 clients) (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.27-2.87) and always using alcohol right before or during sex with clients in the past 30 days (AOR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.19-2.61). In contrast, they were more likely to report consistent condom use for vaginal or anal sex with clients (AOR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.10-2.55), less likely to report using drugs right before or during sex with clients (AOR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.26-0.56) and less likely to have tested positive for STIs at baseline (AOR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.43-0.91). CONCLUSIONS These results provide a glimpse of the complex relationship between motherhood and women who are sex workers. Understanding the convergence of motherhood and sex work and how this can influence a woman's decision when engaging in sex work and affect her health is essential to designing effective programs addressing reduce risk for HIV and STIs among FSWs in this region and elsewhere.
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Rafful C, Melo J, Medina-Mora ME, Rangel G, Sun X, Jain S, Werb D. Cross-border migration and initiation of others into drug injecting in Tijuana, Mexico. Drug Alcohol Rev 2018; 37 Suppl 1:S277-S284. [PMID: 29168262 PMCID: PMC5940504 DOI: 10.1111/dar.12630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND AIMS Efforts to prevent injection drug use (IDU) are increasingly focusing on the role that people who inject drugs (PWID) play in facilitating the entry of others into this behaviour. This is particularly relevant in settings experiencing high levels of IDU, such as Mexico's northern border region, where cross-border migration, particularly through forced deportation, has been found to increase a range of health and social harms related to injecting. DESIGN AND METHODS PWID enrolled in a prospective cohort study in Tijuana, Mexico, since 2011 were interviewed semi-annually, which solicited responses on their experiences initiating others into injecting. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted at the Preventing Injection by Modifying Existing Responses (PRIMER) baseline, with the dependent variable defined as reporting ever initiating others into injection. The primary independent variable was lifetime deportation from the USA to Mexico. RESULTS Among 532 participants, 14% (n = 76) reported initiating others into injecting, the majority of participants reporting initiating acquaintances (74%, n = 56). In multivariable analyses, initiating others into injecting was independently associated with reporting living in the USA for 1-5 years [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.42; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22-4.79, P = 0.01], and methamphetamine and heroin injection combined (AOR = 3.67; 95% CI 1.11-12.17, P = 0.03). Deportation was not independently associated with initiating others into injecting. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS The impact of migration needs to be considered within binational programming seeking to prevent the expansion of epidemics of injecting and HIV transmission among mobile populations residing in the Mexico-USA border region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Rafful
- Division of Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
- San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
| | - Jason Melo
- Division of Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | | | - Gudelia Rangel
- Secretariat of Health, Mexico City, Mexico
- Mexico-United States Border Health Commission, Tijuana, Mexico
| | - Xiaoying Sun
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, Biostatistics Research Center, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Sonia Jain
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, Biostatistics Research Center, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Dan Werb
- Division of Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
- Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada
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Horyniak D, Strathdee SA, West BS, Meacham M, Rangel G, Gaines TL. Predictors of injecting cessation among a cohort of people who inject drugs in Tijuana, Mexico. Drug Alcohol Depend 2018; 185:298-304. [PMID: 29482055 PMCID: PMC5889739 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.12.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Little is known about the cessation of injecting drug use (IDU) among people who inject drugs (PWID) in low and middle-income settings, where access to effective interventions for reducing drug use (e.g., opioid substitution treatment; OST), may be limited. We measured the incidence and identified predictors of IDU cessation among a cohort of PWID in Tijuana, Mexico. METHODS Data were drawn from 621 participants in Proyecto El Cuete IV, a prospective cohort of PWID recruited in 2011 and interviewed biannually to 2016. A multivariable Extended Cox model was constructed to identify socio-demographic, drug use, risk environment and health-related predictors of IDU cessation (no IDU for ≥six months). RESULTS 141 participants (23%) reported at least one IDU cessation event during follow-up. The crude IDU cessation rate was 7.3 per 100 person-years (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 6.2-8.7). IDU cessation was negatively associated with injecting at least daily on average and heroin/methamphetamine co-injection in the past six months, and positively associated with testing HIV positive at baseline, being on methadone maintenance therapy in the past six months, and recent arrest. Concern for personal safety was also independently associated with IDU cessation. CONCLUSIONS The rate of IDU cessation among PWID in Tijuana was low. These findings underscore the importance of expansion of services including OST to help reduce drug use and facilitate IDU cessation for those who wish to do so. In this setting, interventions addressing individual-level economic barriers as well as broader social and structural barriers to harm reduction services are integral.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Horyniak
- Division of Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, United States,Behaviours and Health Risks Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia,School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Steffanie A. Strathdee
- Division of Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, United States
| | - Brooke S. West
- Division of Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, United States
| | - Meredith Meacham
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, United States
| | - Gudelia Rangel
- United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, Tijuana, BC, 22320, Mexico
| | - Tommi L. Gaines
- Division of Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, United States,Correspondence: Tommi L. Gaines, Division of Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, Phone: 858-246-0600,
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Dawson L, Strathdee SA, London AJ, Lancaster KE, Klitzman R, Hoffman I, Rose S, Sugarman J. Addressing ethical challenges in HIV prevention research with people who inject drugs. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS 2018; 44:149-158. [PMID: 27114469 PMCID: PMC6367727 DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2015-102895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Revised: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite recent advances in HIV prevention and treatment, high HIV incidence persists among people who inject drugs (PWID). Difficult legal and political environments and lack of services for PWID likely contribute to high HIV incidence. Some advocates question whether any HIV prevention research is ethically justified in settings where healthcare system fails to provide basic services to PWID and where implementation of research findings is fraught with political barriers. Ethical challenges in research with PWID include concern about whether research evidence will be translated into practice; concerns that research might exacerbate background risks; and ethical challenges regarding the standard of HIV prevention in research. While these questions arise in other research settings, for research with PWID, these questions are especially controversial. This paper analyses four ethical questions in determining whether research could be ethically acceptable: (1) Can researchers ensure that research does not add to the burden of social harms and poor health experienced by PWID? (2) Should research be conducted in settings where it is uncertain whether research findings will be translated into practice? (3) When best practices in prevention and care are not locally available, what standard of care and prevention is ethically appropriate? (4) Does the conduct of research in settings with oppressive policies constitute complicity? We outline specific criteria to address these four ethical challenges. We also urge researchers to join the call to action for policy change to provide proven safe and effective HIV prevention and harm reduction interventions for PWID around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liza Dawson
- Division of AIDS, NIH/NIAID, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Irving Hoffman
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Scott Rose
- Family Health International, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Mehta SR, Chaillon A, Gaines TL, Gonzalez-Zuniga PE, Stockman JK, Almanza-Reyes H, Chavez JR, Vera A, Wagner KD, Patterson TL, Scott B, Smith DM, Strathdee SA. Impact of Public Safety Policies on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission Dynamics in Tijuana, Mexico. Clin Infect Dis 2018; 66:758-764. [PMID: 29045592 PMCID: PMC5848227 DOI: 10.1093/cid/cix884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background North Tijuana, Mexico is home to many individuals at high risk for transmitting and acquiring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Recently, policy shifts by local government impacted how these individuals were handled by authorities. Here we examined how this affected regional HIV transmission dynamics. Methods HIV pol sequences and associated demographic information were collected from 8 research studies enrolling persons in Tijuana and were used to infer viral transmission patterns. To evaluate the impact of recent policy changes on HIV transmission dynamics, qualitative interviews were performed on a subset of recently infected individuals. Results Between 2004 and 2016, 288 unique HIV pol sequences were obtained from individuals in Tijuana, including 46.4% from men who have sex with men, 42.1% from individuals reporting transactional sex, and 27.8% from persons who inject drugs (some individuals had >1 risk factor). Forty-two percent of sequences linked to at least 1 other sequence, forming 37 transmission clusters. Thirty-two individuals seroconverted during the observation period, including 8 between April and July 2016. Three of these individuals were putatively linked together. Qualitative interviews suggested changes in policing led individuals to shift locations of residence and injection drug use, leading to increased risk taking (eg, sharing needles). Conclusions Near real-time molecular epidemiologic analyses identified a cluster of linked transmissions temporally associated with policy shifts. Interviews suggested these shifts may have led to increased risk taking among individuals at high risk for HIV acquisition. With all public policy shifts, downstream impacts need to be carefully considered, as even well-intentioned policies can have major public health consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay R Mehta
- Departments of Medicine University of California, La Jolla
- Departments of Pathology, University of California, La Jolla
- San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California
| | | | - Tommi L Gaines
- Departments of Medicine University of California, La Jolla
| | | | | | - Horatio Almanza-Reyes
- Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud Valle de Las Palmas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Tijuana, Baja California, México
| | - Jose Roman Chavez
- Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud Valle de Las Palmas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Tijuana, Baja California, México
| | - Alicia Vera
- Departments of Medicine University of California, La Jolla
| | - Karla D Wagner
- School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno
| | | | - Brianna Scott
- Departments of Medicine University of California, La Jolla
| | - Davey M Smith
- Departments of Medicine University of California, La Jolla
- San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California
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Melo J, Garfein R, Hayashi K, Milloy M, DeBeck K, Sun S, Jain S, Strathdee S, Werb D. Do law enforcement interactions reduce the initiation of injection drug use? An investigation in three North American settings. Drug Alcohol Depend 2018; 182:67-73. [PMID: 29169035 PMCID: PMC6219752 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Revised: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prevention of drug injecting is often cited as a justification for the deployment of law enforcement and for the continuation of drug criminalization policies. We sought to characterize the impact of law enforcement interactions on the risk that people who inject drugs (PWID) report assisting others with injection initiation in three North American countries. METHODS Cross-sectional data from PWID participating in cohort studies in three cities (San Diego, USA; Tijuana, Mexico; Vancouver, Canada) were pooled (August 2014-December 2016). The dependent variable was defined as recently (i.e., past six months) providing injection initiation assistance; the primary independent variable was the frequency of recent law enforcement interactions, defined categorically (0 vs. 1 vs. 2-5 vs. ≥6). We employed multivariable logistic regression analyses to assess this relationship while controlling for potential confounders. RESULTS Among 2122 participants, 87 (4.1%) reported recently providing injection initiation assistance, and 802 (37.8%) reported recent law enforcement interactions. Reporting either one or more than five recent interactions with law enforcement was not significantly associated with injection initiation assistance. Reporting 2-5 law enforcement interactions was associated with initiation assistance (Adjusted Odds Ratio=1.74, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.01-3.02). CONCLUSIONS Reporting interactions with law enforcement was not associated with a reduced likelihood that PWID reported initiating others into injection drug use. Instead, we identified a positive association between reporting law enforcement interactions and injection initiation assistance among PWID in multiple settings. These findings raise concerns regarding the effectiveness of drug law enforcement to deter injection drug use initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J.S. Melo
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - R.S. Garfein
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - K. Hayashi
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St Paul’s Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z1Y6, Canada,Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Blusson Hall, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - M.J. Milloy
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St Paul’s Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z1Y6, Canada,Division of AIDS, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2329 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - K. DeBeck
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St Paul’s Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z1Y6, Canada
| | - S. Sun
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - S. Jain
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - S.A. Strathdee
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - D. Werb
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA,Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St Michael’s Hospital, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada,Corresponding author at: Division of Global Public Health, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA. (D. Werb)
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Cepeda JA, Strathdee SA, Arredondo J, Mittal ML, Rocha T, Morales M, Clairgue E, Bustamante E, Abramovitz D, Artamonova I, Bañuelos A, Kerr T, Magis-Rodriguez CL, Beletsky L. Assessing police officers' attitudes and legal knowledge on behaviors that impact HIV transmission among people who inject drugs. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2017; 50:56-63. [PMID: 29028564 PMCID: PMC5705567 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2017.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Policing practices such as syringe confiscation and arrest can act as important social-structural drivers of HIV risk among people who inject drugs (PWID). However, police referral to treatment and other services may improve the health of PWID. Little is known about the role of modifiable attitudinal and knowledge factors in shaping officer behavior. Using baseline findings from a police education program (PEP), we assessed relationships between drug policy knowledge and attitudes towards public health interventions with self-reported syringe confiscation, drug arrest, and service referral among street-level police in Tijuana, Mexico. METHODS Between February, 2015 and May, 2016 we surveyed 1319 police officers who reported syringe contact. The self-administered survey focused on attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors related to drug policy, public health, and occupational safety. We used ordinal logistic regression to model the odds of syringe confiscation, arrest for heroin possession, and referring PWID to health/social programs. RESULTS The sample was mostly male (87%) and had at least a high school education (80%). In the last six months, a minority reported always/sometimes confiscating syringes (49%), arresting someone for heroin possession (43%), and referring PWID to health and social programs (37%). Those reporting needlestick injuries (NSI) had 1.38 (95% CI: 1.02-1.87) higher odds of reporting syringe confiscation. Officers who had favorable views on laws that treat addiction as a public health issue had lower odds (aOR=0.78; 95% CI: 0.59-1.03) of arresting PWID. Those agreeing that it was their role to refer PWID to health and social programs had higher odds of reporting such referrals (aOR: 3.32, 95% CI: 2.52-4.37). Legal knowledge was not associated with these practices. CONCLUSION Changing drug policy and knowledge may be insufficient in shifting police behavior. Modifying officers' occupational risks and attitudes towards harm reduction interventions can facilitate efforts to align police practices with PWID health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier A Cepeda
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Medicine, Division of Global Public Health, La Jolla, CA, United States.
| | - Steffanie A Strathdee
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Medicine, Division of Global Public Health, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jaime Arredondo
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Medicine, Division of Global Public Health, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Maria L Mittal
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Medicine, Division of Global Public Health, La Jolla, CA, United States; Universidad Xochicalco, School of Medicine, Tijuana, Mexico
| | - Teresita Rocha
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Medicine, Division of Global Public Health, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Mario Morales
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Medicine, Division of Global Public Health, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Erika Clairgue
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Medicine, Division of Global Public Health, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Eliane Bustamante
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Medicine, Division of Global Public Health, La Jolla, CA, United States; Universidad Xochicalco, School of Medicine, Tijuana, Mexico
| | - Daniela Abramovitz
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Medicine, Division of Global Public Health, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Irina Artamonova
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Medicine, Division of Global Public Health, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Arnulfo Bañuelos
- Department of Planning and Special Projects, Secretaría de Seguridad Pública Municipal, Tijuana, Mexico
| | - Thomas Kerr
- University of British Columbia, Center of Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Carlos L Magis-Rodriguez
- Centro Nacional para la Prevención y Control del VIH/SIDA, Ciudad de Mexico, Distrito Federal, Mexico
| | - Leo Beletsky
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Medicine, Division of Global Public Health, La Jolla, CA, United States; School of Law and Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
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Rocha-Jiménez T, Brouwer KC, Silverman JG, Morales-Miranda S, Goldenberg SM. Exploring the Context and Implementation of Public Health Regulations Governing Sex Work: A Qualitative Study with Migrant Sex Workers in Guatemala. J Immigr Minor Health 2017; 19:1235-1244. [PMID: 27015834 PMCID: PMC7176102 DOI: 10.1007/s10903-016-0399-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Public health regulations practices surrounding sex work and their enforcement can have unintended consequences for HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention and care among sex workers. This analysis was based on qualitative in-depth (n = 33) and focus groups interviews (n = 20) conducted with migrant female sex workers in Tecún Umán and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, and explored the implementation of sex work regulations and related consequences for HIV prevention and care among migrant sex workers. Sex work regulations were found to have health-related benefits (e.g., access to HIV/STI testing) as well as negative impacts, such as abuse by police and harassment, detention/deportation of migrant sex workers. Whereas public health regulations may improve access to HIV/STI testing, their implementation may inadvertently jeopardize sex workers' health through unintended negative consequences. Non-coercive, evidence-based public health and sex work policies and programs are needed to expand access to HIV/STI prevention and care among migrant sex workers, while protecting their dignity and human rights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresita Rocha-Jiménez
- Division of Global Public Health, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA
| | - Kimberly C Brouwer
- Division of Global Public Health, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA
| | - Jay G Silverman
- Division of Global Public Health, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA
| | - Sonia Morales-Miranda
- Unidad de VIH/SIDA, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, 18 Avenida 11-42, Zona 15 Vista Hermosa III, Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Shira M Goldenberg
- Division of Global Public Health, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA.
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
- Gender and Sexual Health Initiative, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Department of Medicine, St. Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia, 608-1081 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada.
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Nowotny KM, Cepeda A, Perdue T, Negi N, Valdez A. Risk Environments and Substance Use Among Mexican Female Sex Work on the U.S.-Mexico Border. JOURNAL OF DRUG ISSUES 2017; 47:528-542. [PMID: 38529041 PMCID: PMC10963065 DOI: 10.1177/0022042616678609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
We use a risk environment framework to qualitatively examine pathways into substance use and abuse among Mexican female sex workers on the U.S.-Mexico border. Life history interviews and ethnographic observations were conducted with female sex workers to uncover how the border context shapes patterns of substance use. The findings illustrate that, for many women, initiation into sex work is contextualized within immigration, the global economy, and demands and desire for financial autonomy. Paradoxically, many find autonomy within sex work as they increase their ability to support their families and themselves. As women become more entrenched in sex work, however, they are put on a path toward substance abuse beginning with alcohol then cocaine and heroin. This identification of specific substance use pathways and trajectories has important implications for the development of prevention and intervention programs that can help curtail problematic drug use that can lead to negative health consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alice Cepeda
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Tasha Perdue
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Horyniak D, Wagner KD, Armenta RF, Cuevas-Mota J, Hendrickson E, Garfein RS. Cross-border injection drug use and HIV and hepatitis C virus seropositivity among people who inject drugs in San Diego, California. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2017; 47:9-17. [PMID: 28683432 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2017.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prevalence of HIV and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) are significantly lower among people who inject drugs (PWID) in San Diego, CA, USA compared with PWID in Tijuana, Mexico, located directly across the border. We investigated associations between cross-border injection drug use (IDU), HIV and HCV seroprevalence and engagement in injecting risk behaviours while on each side of the border. METHODS Using baseline interviews and serologic testing data from STAHR II, a longitudinal cohort study of PWID in San Diego, bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses examined associations between recent (past six months) cross-border IDU and HIV and HCV antibody seropositivity, socio-demographics, drug use characteristics, and participants' connections to, and perceptions about Mexico. Chi-squared tests and McNemar tests examined associations between cross-border IDU and injecting risk behaviours. RESULTS Of the 567 participants (93% U.S.-born, 73% male, median age 45 years), 86 (15%) reported recent cross-border IDU. Cross-border IDU was not associated with HIV (OR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.37-1.95) or HCV seropositivity (OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.62-1.65). Age, identifying as Hispanic or Latino/a, and being concerned about risk of violence when travelling to Mexico were independently associated with decreased odds of recent cross-border IDU. Injecting cocaine at least weekly, having ever lived in Mexico and knowing PWID who reside in Mexico were associated with increased odds of recent cross-border IDU. PWID who reported cross-border IDU were significantly less likely to engage in receptive needle sharing, equipment sharing, and public injection while in Mexico compared with in San Diego (all p<0.001). CONCLUSION Prevalence of HIV and HCV infection was similar among PWID who had and had not injected in Mexico, possibly due to practising safer injecting while in Mexico. Research is needed to elucidate contextual factors enabling U.S. PWID to inject safely while in Mexico.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Horyniak
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Behaviours and Health Risks Program, Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Rd., Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, 99 Commercial Rd., Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia.
| | - Karla D Wagner
- School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St., Reno, NV 89557, USA.
| | - Richard F Armenta
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Jazmine Cuevas-Mota
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Erik Hendrickson
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Richard S Garfein
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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49
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Syvertsen JL, Bazzi AR, Mittal ML. Hope Amidst Horror: Documenting the Effects of the "War On Drugs" Among Female Sex Workers and Their Intimate Partners in Tijuana, Mexico. Med Anthropol 2017; 36:566-583. [PMID: 28414530 DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2017.1317770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Sensationalistic media coverage has fueled stereotypes of the Mexican border city of Tijuana as a violent battleground of the global drug war. While the drug war shapes health and social harms in profoundly public ways, less visible are the experiences and practices of hope that forge communities of care and represent more private responses to this crisis. In this article, we draw on ethnographic fieldwork and photo elicitation with female sex workers who inject drugs and their intimate, non-commercial partners in Tijuana to examine the personal effects of the drug war. Drawing on a critical phenomenology framework, which links political economy with phenomenological concern for subjective experience, we explore the ways in which couples try to find hope amidst the horrors of the drug war. Critical visual scholarship may provide a powerful alternative to dominant media depictions of violence, and ultimately clarify why this drug war must end.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Syvertsen
- a Department of Anthropology , The Ohio State University , Columbus , Ohio , USA
| | - Angela Robertson Bazzi
- b Department of Community Health Sciences , Boston University School of Public Health , Boston , Massachusetts , USA
| | - María Luisa Mittal
- c Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine , University of California, San Diego , San Diego , California , USA.,d Facultad de Medicina , Universidad Xochicalco , Tijuana , Mexico
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50
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Rocha-Jimenez T, Brouwer KC, Salazar M, Boyce SC, Servin AE, Goldenberg SM, Staines-Orozco H, Vera-Monroy RB, Silverman JG. "He invited me and didn't ask anything in return" Migration and Mobility as Vulnerabilities for Sexual Exploitation among Female Adolescents in Mexico. INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION 2017; 56:5-17. [PMID: 33293733 DOI: 10.1111/imig.12333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Although human trafficking is recognized as a major human rights violation, there is limited evidence regarding the vulnerabilities that contribute to female adolescents' risk of being forced or coerced into the sex trade. Vulnerabilities such as gender-based violence, economic and social inequalities have been shown to shape the risk of sexual exploitation among adolescents. In-depth interviews (n=18) with current sex workers who reported being deceived or forced into the sex trade as adolescents (<17 years old) were analysed to explore their experiences of migration and mobility in Mexico. Driven by socio-economic and vulnerabilities in home communities, adolescents often engaged in internal migration and mobility to other Mexican communities and states. Migration and mobility further predisposed them to social isolation, economic hardship and abuse, which were used as tools to trick them into the sex trade. Policies that support safer migration for adolescents in origin, transit, and destination communities are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresita Rocha-Jimenez
- University of California, San Diego.,Center on Gender Equity and Health, Division of Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego
| | | | - Marissa Salazar
- University of California, San Diego.,Center on Gender Equity and Health, Division of Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego
| | - Sabrina C Boyce
- University of California, San Diego.,Center on Gender Equity and Health, Division of Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego
| | - Argentina E Servin
- University of California, San Diego.,Center on Gender Equity and Health, Division of Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego
| | | | | | - Ricardo B Vera-Monroy
- University of California, San Diego.,Center on Gender Equity and Health, Division of Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego
| | - Jay G Silverman
- University of California, San Diego.,Center on Gender Equity and Health, Division of Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego
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