Vulnerabilities and risks of HIV infection among migrants in the Thane district, India

Condom use and drug consumption in migrants: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To identify condom use and drug consumption in migrants, as well as the association between these variables.

METHOD

A systematic search was carried out for articles published in Spanish and English (2017-2022), in PubMed, EBSCO, WEB of SCIENCE, Elsevier, Scielo, Redalyc, with eligible studies reporting on condom use and drug consumption, and their association.

RESULTS

The search strategy found 147 articles with the combination of terms and other sources. After excluding articles by title, abstract, and finding that they had the study variables, eight articles were included for qualitative analysis and only three met the criteria for quantitative analysis.

CONCLUSION

Drug consumption favors inconsistent condom use, increasing the risk of acquiring an STI, and can lead to other mental health issues derived from the use of these substances.

Factors impacting HIV testing among young sexually active women migrant workers in Vietnamese industrial zones

BACKGROUND

Young migrant workers living in low- and middle-income countries often experience barriers and inadequate access to HIV prevention and treatment services. This study examines the prevalence of HIV testing, associated factors, and reasons for obtaining and not obtaining HIV testing among young sexually active women migrant workers in an industrial zone in Hanoi, Vietnam.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 512 sexually active young women migrant workers (aged 18 to 29) working in the Thang Long industrial zone in Hanoi, Vietnam. Data was collected via a face-to-face interview from January 2020 to June 2021. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to explore factors associated with ever-testing for HIV among sexually active participants.

RESULTS

The study found a low level of HIV testing and high rates of unprotected sex. Among those who reported being sexually active, only 23.7% of participants (n = 126) reported having ever been tested for HIV. Among those who reported never having tested for HIV, 38.2% reported not using condoms during their most recent sexual encounter. Factors associated with engaging in HIV testing included being older (25-29 years), having greater knowledge about HIV, past use of sexual and reproductive health and HIV services, and familiarity with HIV testing locations.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, a low level of HIV testing, high rates of unprotected sex, and low perceived risks regarding HIV among the study participants point to a need to implement targeted HIV interventions that can improve both safe sex practices and perceptions of and knowledge about risky sexual behaviors. Such interventions should use insights from this study to address factors facilitating HIV testing among industrial zones' women migrant workers.

Pandemic, Precarity and Health of Migrants in South Asia: Mapping multiple dimensions of precarity and pathways to states of health and well-being

Mobility patterns in South Asia are complex, defined by temporary and circular migration of low waged labourers within and across national borders. They move, live and work in conditions that expose them to numerous hazards and health risks that result in chronic ailments and physical and mental health problems. Yet, public policies and discourses either ignore migrants' health needs or tend to pathologise them, framing them as carriers of diseases. Their structural neglect was exposed by the ongoing pandemic crisis. In this paper, we take stock of the evidence on the health of low-wage migrants in South Asia and examine how their health is linked to their social, political and work lives. The paper derives from a larger body of work on migration and health in South Asia and draws specifically on content analysis and scoping review of literature retrieved through Scopus from 2000 to 2021 on health of low-income migrants. Utilising the lens of precarity and building on previous applications, we identify four dimensions of precarity and examine how these influence health: i) Work-based, concerned with hazardous and disempowering work conditions, ii) Social position-based, pertaining to the social stratification and intersecting oppressions faced by migrants, iii) Status-based, derived from vulnerabilities arising from the mobile and transient nature of their lives and livelihoods, and iv) Governmentality-based, relating to the formal policies and informal procedures of governance that disenfranchise migrants. We illustrate how these collectively produce distinct yet interrelated and interlocking oppressive states of insecurity, disempowerment, dispossession, exclusion, and disposability that define health outcomes, health-seeking pathways, and lock migrants in a continuing cycle of precarity, impoverishment and ill-health.

Sexual Risk Behaviors, HIV Prevalence and Access to Reproductive Health Services Among Young Women Migrant Workers in the Industrial Zones in Vietnam

Background: Young migrant workers working in the industrial zones (IZ) in low and middle-income countries are at risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. This study examines the sex-related risks of young women migrant workers in the IZ in Vietnam. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,061 young migrant women working in the IZ park in Hanoi, Vietnam. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with HIV testing and condom use at last sex. Results: A total of 1,061 young women migrant workers completed the survey in which 652 participants consented to take the initial rapid HIV test. All but one participant tested negative indicating a HIV prevalence of 150 (95% CI: 27-860) per 100,000 population among this population. There were no differences in sexual behavior, use of sexual and reproductive health services, HIV knowledge, perceived HIV risk or alcohol use between those who were HIV tested and those not tested. Single participants reported high rates of first sex while living in the IZ and high rates of condom use during the first-time sex, however, they had low levels of condom use at last sex. While the majority of married participants used the SRH/HIV services, nearly 80% of the single participants who reported having sex never used SRH/HIV services since living in the IZ. However, single participants were over 4 times more likely to use condoms at last sex compared to married participants (OR = 4.67; 95%CI = 2.96-7.85). Participants with vocational school or higher education was more likely to use condom (OR = 2.19; 95%CI = 1.05-4.57). Neither HIV knowledge or alcohol use were associated with condom use. Conclusions: Although HIV prevalence is very low among young women workers in the IZ in Vietnam, a significant number of them engaged in risky sexual behavior and low levels of condom use at last sex as well as low level of using SRH/HIV services highlights a need to develop interventions that provide tailored-made and cultural appropriate SRH education for unmarried female migrant workers to prevent risky sexual behaviors, sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy.

Association of intimate partner violence and other risk factors with HIV infection among married women in India: evidence from National Family Health Survey 2015-16

Background

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection remains an important public health concern in many countries. It is fuelled by gender inequality and disparity, which has resulted in a fundamental violation of women’s human rights. This study aims to find out the association of intimate partner violence (IPV) and other risk factors with the prevalence of HIV infection among married women in India.

Methods

This study is based on data from the India National Family Health Survey (2015–16). Bivariate analysis has been performed to estimate the prevalence of HIV. Logistic regression analysis is conducted to find out the association between IPV, factors such as having alcoholic husband and lifetime partner, and HIV infection among currently married women.

Results

Married women who had faced physical, sexual, and emotional violence from their husbands/partners were almost twice more likely to have tested HIV positive compared to married women who did not face violence [OR: 2.14, CI: 1.08–4.50]. The odds of testing for HIV positive was significantly higher among the married women experiencing IPV and having alcoholic husband [OR: 4.48, CI: 1.87–10.70] than those who did not experience IPV and had non-alcoholic husband. The use of condom did not show any significant association with HIV infection. Again, having more than one lifetime partner had a positive association with HIV infection compared to those with one partner [OR: 2.45, CI: 1.21–4.16].

Conclusions

The study revealed that factors such as experiencing all types of IPV, having an alcoholic husband, increased number of lifetime partners, being sexually inactive, belonging to vulnerable social groups, and urban place of residence are important risk factors of HIV infection among married women in India. The results also suggest that gender-based violence and an alcoholic husband may represent a significant factor of HIV infection among married women and interventions should on focus such vulnerable populations.

Factors determining sexual behaviour amongst siddi tribe migrating to Udupi district, India: A cross-sectional study

Background

Afro-Indians, locally known as Siddi, are the tribal community descended from the Bantu populace from eastern Africa found in Goa, Gujarat and Karnataka along the Indian west coast. This study determines knowledge, attitude and sexual behaviour amongst the Siddi population in the Udupi district.

Materials and Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2018 to September 2019; men and women aged above 18 years who lived in the locality at the time of the survey were included in the study.

Results

A total of 108 Siddi individuals participated in this study. The mean age of the respondents was 31.8 ± 9.5 years. More than half (51.8%) of the respondents received information on sexual matters through friends. Awareness regarding the usage of condoms and other preventive measures was poor (34.7%). Around 65.7% of the respondents felt that sex education in school encourages sex amongst youngsters. The mean age at the first sexual intercourse amongst men and women was 20.3 years and 16.2 years, respectively. About 18.7% of the respondents had sex with a new partner in the migrated place within the last 1 month, of which 80% were married. Only 5% of the respondents used condoms while indulging in sex with a new partner at the migrated place. Factors such as age at marriage, age at the first sexual act and attitude towards sexual activity were significantly associated with a new sex partner at the arrival site.

Conclusion

There is a high prevalence of unsafe sexual practices amongst the migrated Siddi tribe at the place of destination. This poses the risk of sexually transmitted infections amongst the migrant tribes and local communities at the place of destination and the location of origin. The study finding shows that measures should be taken to create awareness, and change in attitude towards sexual matter should be channelised at an early age amongst the Siddi population.