Economic vulnerability, violence, and sexual risk factors for HIV among female sex workers in tijuana, Mexico

Reed, Elizabeth Ann

Saturday, March 21, 2015: 9:50 AM-11:10 AM

Mount Vernon Square A (Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel)

Speaker:
Elizabeth Ann Reed, ScD, MPH, University of California San Diego

Authors:
Jay G. Silverman, PhD, Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego
Craig T. McIntosh, PhD, University of California San Diego
María Gudelia Rangel Gomez, PhD, US-Mexico Border Health Commission
Argentina Servin, MD, MPH, Center for Gender Equity and Health, Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego
Marissa Salazar, MA, UCSD
Kimberly C. Brouwer, PhD, Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego

Presentation Format:
Scientific Program Report

Learning Objectives:

Characterize the frequency and types of economic vulnerability reported among female sex workers (FSW) in Tijuana, Mexico.
Describe the relation between economic vulnerability, women’s experiences of violence, and sexual risks for HIV among this sample of FSW.
Identify potential economic interventions that may be useful for addressing the intersecting risks of violence and HIV among this sample of FSW.

Description:
This study assessed economic vulnerability (no financial support, economic hardship) in relation to experiences of physical and sexual violence as well as sexual risks for HIV among female sex workers (FSW) in Tijuana, Mexico. Survey data using a venue-based sample of FSW were analyzed using crude and adjusted logistic regression models. Findings indicate that economic hardship and no financial support from others are associated with greater risk factors for HIV, including violence, and particularly sexual violence, among FSW in Tijuana.