Prevalence of risk factors for HIV infection among Mexican migrants and immigrants:: Probability survey in the North border of Mexico

Objective. To estimate the prevalence of risk factors for HIV infection among Mexican migrants and immigrants (MMIs) in different geographic contexts, including the sending communities in Mexico, the receiving communities in the United States (US), and the Mexican North border region. Material and Methods. We conducted a probability survey among MMIs traveling through key border crossing sites in the Tijuana (Baia California, Mexico)-San Diego (California, US) border region (N = 1 429). Results. The survey revealed substantial rates of reported sexually transmitted infections, needle-sharing and sexual risk practices in all migration contexts. Conclusions. The estimated levels of HIV risk call for further binational research and preventive interventions in all key geographic contexts of the migration experience to identify and tackle the different personal, environmental, and structural determinants of HIV risk in each of these contexts.