Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Mexico's Northern Border Conflict: Collateral Damage To Health And Human Rights Of Vulnerable Groups, Leo Beletsky, Gustavo Martinez, Tommi Gaines, Lucie Nguyen, Remedios Lozada, Gudelia Rangel, Alicia Vera, Heather L. Mccauley, Andrea Sorensen, Steffanie A. Strathdee

Leo Beletsky

Objectives: Given links between policing environment and infectious disease risk among vulnerable groups, we surveyed female sex workers who inject drugs in Tijuana and Ciudad (Cd.) Juarez. Data were used to 1. compare distributions of human rights violations and disease risk, 2. juxtapose these patterns against demographic and structural environment variables, and 3. formulate implications for structural interventions. Methods: Structured interviews and testing for sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) were conducted (October 2008-October 2009). Frequency of individual and environmental factors, including police abuse, HIV risk and protective behaviors were compared between sites using univariate logistic regression. Results: Of 624 women, almost half …