Molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 among adult female sex workers at the Guatemala-Mexico border.

ABSTRACTSex workers have been demonstrated to have increased vulnerabilities to HIV and a high population prevalence of the disease. Despite their increased risk, sex workers have been underrepresented in molecular epidemiology studies assessing HIV in Mesoamerica. This study aims to describe the sociodemographic characteristics and phylogenetic profile of HIV-1 within a cohort of HIV-positive female sex workers (FSW) situated at the Guatemala-Mexico border. HIV viral sequences were collected from a cohort of FSW ≥18 years of age from San Marcos, Guatemala (n = 6) and compared to viral sequences collected as part of the Mesoamerican Drug Resistance Monitoring Programme to assess HIV viral diversity in Mexico and Guatemala (n = 3956). All of the FSW sampled were determined to have genetically unrelated HIV infections, suggesting multiple introductions of the virus and/or the potential existence of populations not captured by current surveillance efforts. Many reported numerous vulnerabilities that may have heightened their risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV through sex work activities. Our phylogenetic analysis indicated that national surveillance programmes may not fully capture the viral diversity among FSW and their clients within this region. Additional research is needed to fully capture HIV diversity and transmission in Mesoamerica, especially in the Guatemala-Mexico border region.

Hoping for a Better Future during COVID-19: How Migration Plans Are Protective of Depressive Symptoms for Haitian Migrants Living in Chile.

This paper explores the migration experiences, perceived COVID-19 impacts, and depression symptoms among Haitian migrants living in Santiago, Chile. Ninety-five participants from eight neighborhoods with a high density of Haitian migrants were recruited. Descriptive statistics, univariate analysis, and logistic regression analysis were conducted. Chi-squared tests were used to confirm univariate results. We found that 22% of participants had major depressive symptoms based on the CESD-R-20 scale, 87% reported major life changes due to COVID-19, and 78% said their migration plans had changed due to the pandemic. Factors associated with more depressive symptoms were being in debt (OR = 3.43) and experiencing discrimination (ORs: 0.60 to 6.19). Factors associated with less odds of depressive symptoms were social support (ORs: 0.06 to 0.25), change in migration plans due to COVID-19 (OR = 0.30), and planning to leave Chile (OR = 0.20). After accounting for relevant factors, planning to leave Chile is significantly predictive of fewer symptoms of depression. Haitian migrants living in Chile had a high prevalence of depression. Planning to leave Chile was a significant protector against depressive symptoms. Future studies should explore how nuanced experiences of uncertainty play out in migrants' lives, mental well-being, and planning for their future.

Migration and Mobility: Correlates of Recent HIV Testing Among Substance Using Female Sex Workers at the Mexico-Guatemala Border.

The goal of this paper is to determine the association between traveling to engage in sex work in another country and recent access to HIV testing among substance-using female sex workers (FSWs) in the Mexico-Guatemala border region. From 2012 to 2015, through modified time-location sampling and peer referral, 255 FSWs were recruited at Mexico's southern border. Participants completed questionnaires on sociodemographics, migration and mobility experiences, work environment factors, and substance use. A conceptual framework, as depicted by a directed acyclic graph (DAG), guided our analysis. Crude and adjusted logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relationships between mobility experiences and HIV testing in the past year. Overall HIV testing was low (41%); after considering relevant covariates (i.e., interaction with health services and organizations, and sex work characteristics) traveling to engage in sex work in another country was found to be positively associated with HIV testing in the past year. Future efforts need to consider voluntary and non-stigmatizing prevention HIV services and focus on reaching out to less mobile women.

RESUMEN: El objetivo de este artículo es determinar la asociación entre viajar a otro país para ejercer el comercio sexual y el acceso a una prueba reciente de VIH, en una población de mujeres trabajadoras sexuales en la frontera de México con Guatemala. Entre el 2012 y 2015, utilizando un muestreo por conveniencia y por referencia de pares, se invitó a 255 mujeres trabajadoras sexuales en la frontera sur de México a participar en este proyecto de investigación. Las participantes completaron una encuesta que comprendió preguntas sociodemográficas así como experiencias de migración y movilidad, características del trabajo sexual, y patrones de uso de sustancia. Utilizamos un marco conceptual que se ilustra en una Gráfica Acíclica Dirigida (DAG) el cual sirvió para guiar nuestro análisis. Realizamos análisis de regresión logística cruda y ajustada para evaluar la asociación entre experiencias de movilidad y haber recibido una prueba de VIH en el último año. En general, el porcentaje de haber recibido una prueba de VIH en el último año fue bajo (41%); después de considerar covariables relevantes; (ej., interacción con organizaciones y servicios de salud, características del trabajo sexual) encontramos que viajar a otro país para ejercer el comercio sexual está asociado con haber recibido una prueba de VIH en el último año. Es importante que, en el futuro, se concentren esfuerzos en servicios de prevención del VIH que sean voluntarios, no estigmatizantes, y que se enfoquen en mujeres trabajadoras sexuales menos móviles.

Intercepted journeys: Associations between migration and mobility experiences and depressive symptoms among substance using migrants at the Mexico-Guatemala border.

Substance use and depressive psychiatric symptoms have been associated with migration and mobility. The Mexico-Guatemala border is a key transit point for internal, regional, and international migration flows. However, there is limited knowledge of the role of substance use, migration, and mobility on mental health among migrants at this border. Our paper explores the association of migration and mobility patterns with possible major depressive symptoms among migrants at this key geographic region. We recruited 392 substance-using migrants using modified time-location sampling. Crude and adjusted logistic regression models were developed. We found that 12% of the sample had possible major depressive symptoms. After adjusting for relevant covariates, including gender, income, and perceived homelessness, we found that recent rural-urban and short-term migrants had higher odds of possible major depressive symptoms, whereas international migrants had lower odds. Findings of this paper suggest that although migrants experience hardship and uncertainty, they may respond with complex and nuanced forms of coping and planning.

HIV Infection and Risk Heightened Among Female Sex Workers Who Entered the Sex Trade as Adolescents in Guatemala.

A dearth of empirical research exists on female sex workers in Central America who begin selling sex under age 18. Data were collected from adult female sex workers (N = 1216) sampled using census and modified time-location sampling in three urban centers of Guatemala. In adjusted analyses, female sex workers who entered the sex trade under age 16 years were more likely to be HIV positive (AOR = 4.6, 95% CI 1.6, 13.2), have not received HIV education in their first year of sex trade (AOR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.5, 5.5), have experienced violence to force commercial sex (AOR = 4.6, 95% CI 2.2, 9.8) and have not used condoms in their first month (AOR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.3, 6.1) , relative to those who entered as adults. An interaction between age at entry and foreign migration at entry was found for HIV risk. Efforts to prevent adolescent sex trade entry are needed and may also help to reduce HIV rates in Guatemala.

Communication Strategies To Enhance HIV/STI Prevention, Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Safety Among Migrant Sex Workers at the Mexico-Guatemala Border.

Communication-based interventions have been linked to improved health and social outcomes among underserved populations. Migrant women in sex work face serious health and social inequities, including risks of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and violence. Given gaps in evidence about health communication among migrant sex workers and the potential for communication-based interventions to promote health and safety, this qualitative study investigates experiences with accessing and sharing information regarding HIV/STI prevention, sexual and reproductive health, and physical safety among migrant sex workers at the Mexico-Guatemala border. Findings suggest that participatory peer-based, workplace, and m-health communication interventions could facilitate access to HIV/STI prevention, and to sexual and reproductive health/safety resources for migrant women involved in sex work, while strengthening peer support networks and social cohesion. To have long-lasting results, such interventions must be complemented by broader structural changes, including sex work and migration law reforms, increased community mobilization, and improved working conditions.

The influence of migration in substance use practices and HIV/STI-related risks of female sex workers at a dynamic border crossing.

We explored the association of international migration with substance use and HIV/STI risk factors among female sex workers (FSW). Using modified time-location sampling, we recruited 266 FSW at the Mexico-Guatemala border. Crude and adjusted logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relationships. HIV risks, such as frequent hard drug use and drug use in another country, were greater for migrant compared to nonmigrant FSW. However, more migrant versus nonmigrant FSW reported consistent condom use with clients and having a health card. Our study highlights regional patterns of substance use among FSW and risk or protective behaviors related to migration status.

Struggling bodies at the border: migration, violence and HIV vulnerability in the Mexico/Guatemala border region.

The Mexico-Guatemala border is the site of significant movement of people whose principal destination is the USA. The first step, to cross Mexico, is considered as one of the most dangerous routes in the world for undocumented migrants. For some male migrants and displaced persons from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, initiating sex work in the Mexican border city of Tapachula has become a way to earn money to survive during the trip northward - providing funds to keep traveling and decrease the danger of being killed or kidnaped by organized crime groups. Non-injected drug use during sex work with men and/or women is a common praxis for this purpose, and is linked to HIV risk activities such as unprotected sex. Our study is based on ethnographic fieldwork with observation and interviews and within a relational approach understanding the processes subject/structure, sociopolitical/cultural and global/local, not as oppositions, rather as linkages visible through actors' points of view and praxis. The productions of politics and cultures related to structural vulnerability to HIV infection are embedded in local and global borderization processes where legal and illegal transnational forces, states' frameworks and social groups play a linked role. The economies of structural, symbolic and direct violence affect migratory patterns, institutional interactions and social and cultural relations with the local population. In this context, social representations and praxis about unprotected sex and drug use are the locus of struggling bodies at the border.

Factors associated with HIV testing among men who have sex with men in Guatemala City.

Although men who have sex with men (MSM) have the highest human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence in Guatemala, prevention efforts have been focused on other vulnerable populations. Respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit 444 MSM in Guatemala City to explore factors related to HIV testing among MSM. About 56% of participants reported HIV testing in the past 12 months, which was associated with a public MSM status (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.08; 95% CI 1.02-4.26), participating in peer HIV prevention intervention (AOR 3.71; 95% CI 1.86-7.43), having at least one casual male partner (AOR 2.16; 95% CI 1.11-4.20), and practicing only insertive anal sex (AOR 3.35; 95% CI 1.59-7.09). Men with comprehensive HIV knowledge (AOR 2.63; 95% CI 1.38-5.02) were also more likely to have been tested. Further interventions in Guatemala targeting the most hidden MSM are needed.

Making the Link: A Pilot Health Navigation Intervention to Improve Timely Linkage to Care for Men Who have Sex with Men and Transgender Women Recently Diagnosed with HIV in Guatemala City.

We piloted a health navigation strategy to promote timely linkage to care among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW) recently diagnosed with HIV in Guatemala City. We used a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative data collected during clinic visits and qualitative data from in-depth interviews, to characterize acceptability of navigation and time to linkage, defined as having the first clinical care visit. Out of 54 participants who enrolled in the pilot (n = 52 MSM; n = 2 TW), 50 (92.6%) accepted navigation and all were linked to care. Median time to linkage was 3 days (Interquartile Range 2-5 days). In qualitative interviews, participants expressed feeling scared and alone following their diagnosis and appreciated the support of a navigator, especially when they did not feel they could access their existing support networks. Future research and evaluation should continue to assess how to best use health navigation to support key populations recently diagnosed with HIV.

Influence of indoor work environments on health, safety, and human rights among migrant sex workers at the Guatemala-Mexico Border: a call for occupational health and safety interventions.

BACKGROUND: Migrant women are over-represented in the sex industry, and migrant sex workers experience disproportionate health inequities, including those related to health access, HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and violence. Despite calls for occupational sex work interventions situated in labour rights frameworks, there remains a paucity of evidence pertaining to migrant sex workers' needs and realities, particularly within Mexico and Central America. This study investigated migrant sex workers' narratives regarding the ways in which structural features of work environments shape vulnerability and agency related to HIV/STI prevention and violence at the Guatemala-Mexico border. METHODS: Drawing on theoretical perspectives on risk environments and structural determinants of HIV in sex work, we analyzed in-depth interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic fieldwork conducted with 39 migrant sex workers in indoor work environments between 2012 and 2015 in Tecún Umán, Guatemala. RESULTS: Participant narratives revealed the following intersecting themes to be most closely linked to safety and agency to engage in HIV/STI prevention: physical features of indoor work environments (e.g., physical layout of venue, proximity to peers and third parties); social norms and practices for alcohol use within the workplace; the existence and nature of management practices and policies on health and safety practices; and economic influences relating to control over earnings and clients. Across work environments, health and safety were greatly shaped by human rights concerns stemming from workplace interactions with police, immigration authorities, and health authorities. CONCLUSIONS: Physical isolation, establishment norms promoting alcohol use, restricted economic agency, and human rights violations related to sex work policies and immigration enforcement were found to exacerbate risks. However, some establishment policies and practices promoted 'enabling environments' for health and safety, supporting HIV/STI prevention, economic agency, and protection from violence and exploitation; these practices and policies were especially crucial for recent migrants. Policy reforms and structural workplace interventions tailored to migrant sex workers' needs are recommended to promote improved working conditions and migrant sex workers' health, safety, and human rights.

Influence of peer support on HIV/STI prevention and safety amongst international migrant sex workers: A qualitative study at the Mexico-Guatemala border.

BACKGROUND: Migrant women engaged in precarious employment, such as sex work, frequently face pronounced social isolation alongside other barriers to health and human rights. Although peer support has been identified as a critical HIV and violence prevention intervention for sex workers, little is known about access to peer support or its role in shaping health and social outcomes for migrant sex workers. This article analyses the role of peer support in shaping vulnerability and resilience related to HIV/STI prevention and violence among international migrant sex workers at the Mexico-Guatemala border. METHODS: This qualitative study is based on 31 semi-structured interviews conducted with international migrant sex workers in the Mexico-Guatemala border communities of Tapachula, Mexico and Tecún Umán and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. RESULTS: Peer support was found to be critical for reducing social isolation; improving access to HIV/STI knowledge, prevention and resources; and mitigating workplace violence, particularly at the initial stages of migration and sex work. Peer support was especially critical for countering social isolation, and peers represented a valuable source of HIV/STI prevention knowledge and resources (e.g., condoms), as well as essential safety supports in the workplace. However, challenges to accessing peer support were noted, including difficulties establishing long-lasting relationships and other forms of social participation due to frequent mobility, as well as tensions among peers within some work environments. Variations in access to peer support related to country of work, work environment, sex work and migration stage, and sex work experience were also identified. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that peer-led and community empowerment interventions represent a promising strategy for promoting the health, safety and human rights of migrant sex workers. Tailored community empowerment interventions addressing the unique migration-related contexts and challenges faced by migrant sex workers should be a focus of future community-based research, alongside promotion of broader structural changes.

Stigma and unmet sexual and reproductive health needs among international migrant sex workers at the Mexico-Guatemala border.

OBJECTIVE: To explore international migrant sex workers' experiences and narratives pertaining to the unmet need for and access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) at the Mexico-Guatemala border. METHODS: An inductive qualitative analysis was conducted based on ethnographic fieldwork (2012-2015) including participant observation and audio-recorded in-depth interviews. The participants were female sex workers aged 18 years or older and international migrants working at the Mexico-Guatemala border. RESULTS: In total, 31 women were included. The greatest areas of unmet need included accessible, affordable, and nonstigmatizing access to contraception and treatment of sexually transmitted infections. On both sides of the border, poor information about the health systems, services affordability, and perceived stigma resulted in barriers to access SRH services, with women preferring to access private doctors in their destination country or delaying uptake of until their next trip home. Financial barriers prevented women from accessing needed services, with most only receiving SRH services in their destination country through public health regulations surrounding sex work or as urgent care. CONCLUSIONS: There is a crucial need to avoid prioritizing vertical disease-specific services and to promote access to rights-based SRH services for migrant sex workers in both home and destination settings.

"Oh, I'm Not Alone": Experiences of HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex With Men in a Health Navigation Program to Promote Timely Linkage to Care in Guatemala City.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV in Guatemala and may benefit from health navigation programs designed to support timely linkage to HIV care. We conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with MSM (n = 19) linked to care within days of their diagnosis with the support of a health navigator. We used narrative analysis and systematic coding to identify themes related to HIV diagnosis and experiences with navigators. Participants experienced strong feelings of fear upon receiving a positive HIV test result. This fear led to social isolation and limited reliance on family and friend networks for support. Health navigators developed strong relationships with participants by providing the emotional support they were lacking and supporting them to overcome their fear and other structural barriers to HIV care, including stigma. Findings support the important role of navigation for MSM in Guatemala and could be transferable to other settings in Latin America.

HIV Risk Behaviors and Correlates of Inconsistent Condom Use Among Substance Using Migrants at the Mexico/Guatemala Border.

This study assessed correlates of inconsistent condom use with casual partners and the prevalence of sexual risk behaviors and STIs in the Mexico/Guatemala border region using a sample of 392 migrants (303 men, 85 women) who reported current substance use or problem drinking. We ran separate univariate logistic regression models for men and women, and multivariate logistic regression models for men only. Prevalence of syphilis was 1.2% among women and 2.3% among men; HIV prevalence was 2.4% among women and 1.3% among men. Inconsistent condom use with casual partners was higher in women with greater education and lower among women who sold sex. In men, less access to free condoms, drug use with sexual partners, and drug use before sex were independently associated with inconsistent condom use with casual partners. Sexual and substance use risk behaviors were common, and HIV/STI prevention efforts should target both genders and expand beyond most-at risk populations.

Exploring the Context and Implementation of Public Health Regulations Governing Sex Work: A Qualitative Study with Migrant Sex Workers in Guatemala.

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.

HIV Diagnosis, Linkage to Care, and Retention among Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in Guatemala City.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women are disproportionately affected by HIV in Guatemala, yet little is known about their experiences with diagnosis, linkage to care, and retention. We conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with 26 MSM and transgender women living with HIV in Guatemala City. HIV diagnosis experiences changed over time with increasing asymptomatic testing at non-governmental organizations. Fear of the physical and social impacts of HIV delayed testing, acceptance of diagnosis, and linkage to HIV care. These fears were driven by layered stigma and discrimination due to non-normative gender expressions and / or sexual orientation. Retention-specific determinants included HIV clinic dynamics and limited employment opportunities. There is an urgent need to improve support systems for early testing and linkage to care and to expand employment opportunities. Stigma and discrimination must be addressed at the family, clinic and contextual levels to reduce fear of diagnosis and improve access to care.

Migration, violence, and safety among migrant sex workers: a qualitative study in two Guatemalan communities.

Despite reports of high levels of violence among women migrants in Central America, limited evidence exists regarding the health and safety of migrant sex workers in Central America. This study is based on 16 months of field research (November 2012-February 2014), including ethnographic fieldwork, in-depth interviews, and focus groups conducted with 52 internal and international migrant female sex workers in Tecún Umán and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, key transit and destination communities for both international and internal migrants. The analysis explored migration-related determinants of susceptibility to violence experienced by migrant sex workers across different phases of migration. Violence in home communities and economic considerations were key drivers of migration. Unsafe transit experiences (eg undocumented border crossings) and negative interactions with authorities in destination settings (eg extortion) contributed to migrant sex workers' susceptibility to violence, while enhanced access to information on immigration policies and greater migration and sex work experience were found to enhance agency and resilience. Findings suggest the urgent need for actions that promote migrant sex workers' safety in communities of origin, transit, and destination, and programmes aimed at preventing and addressing human rights violations within the context of migration and sex work.

High HIV Burden in Men Who Have Sex with Men across Colombia's Largest Cities: Findings from an Integrated Biological and Behavioral Surveillance Study.

BACKGROUND: Among Latin America's concentrated HIV epidemics, little is known about men who have sex with men (MSM) in Colombia, the region's third largest country. To date, surveillance studies have been limited to Bogota, while 80% of HIV cases and deaths originate from Colombia's other cities and departments. The extent to which interventions should prioritize MSM outside of Bogota is unknown. METHODS: We recruited 2603 MSM using respondent-driven sampling from seven of Colombia's largest cities. HIV prevalence was estimated by site from dried blood spot samples. Behavioral data were collected through face-to-face interviews and risk factors for HIV infection analyzed using weighted, multi-level logistical regression models accounting for recruitment patterns. RESULTS: Across cities, HIV prevalence averaged 15%, varied from 6% to 24% and was highest in Cali, Bogota, and Barranquilla. In the past 12 months, 65% of MSM had ≥ 5 casual male partners and 23% had a female partner. Across partnerships (i.e., casual, stable, and commercial), the proportion of MSM engaging in unprotected sex was ≥ 52% with male partners and ≥ 66% with female partners. Self-reported history of STI (24%) and past-year illicit drug use (38%) were also common. In multivariate analysis, age ≥ 35 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 19.2) and 25-39 (AOR, 5.6) relative to ≤ 18-24 years, identifying as homosexual relative to heterosexual (AOR 0.1), meeting casual partners on the Internet (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 3.1) and age of sexual debut of ≤ 13 years (AOR, 3.1) predicted HIV infection. HIV testing and prevention messaging reached just 24% of MSM in the past year. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support consistently elevated HIV burden among MSM throughout Colombia's largest cities and a need for enhanced behavioral prevention and HIV testing, emphasizing men who use the Internet as well as physical venues to meet sex partners.

HIV, STI and Behavioral Risk Among Men Who have Sex with Men in a Setting of Elevated HIV Prevalence Along Ecuador's Pacific Coast.

We assessed HIV and STI prevalence, risk behaviors and factors associated with HIV infection in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit 400 MSM in 2011-2012. Participants completed a computer-assisted self-interview and provided blood samples. Statistical analysis accounted for differential probability of selection and for recruitment patterns. HIV prevalence was 11.3 %, HSV-2 30.2 %, active syphilis 6.9 % and hepatitis B 1.2 %. In the previous 12 months, 84 % of MSM reported casual male sex partners and 25 % sex work. Only 48 % of MSM consistently used condoms with male partners and 54 % had ever been tested for HIV. Of 17 % of MSM reporting a female partner, consistent condom use was 6 %. HIV infection was associated with age 25 or older, active syphilis and homosexual self-identification. Findings suggest continuing HIV risk and a need to strengthen prevention and testing among MSM.