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Use of commercial sex workers among Hispanic migrants in North Carolina: implications for the spread of HIV.


Researchers have become increasingly concerned with the connection between migration and the spread of HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. . (1) Migration from Mexico and Central America Central America, narrow, southernmost region (c.202,200 sq mi/523,698 sq km) of North America, linked to South America at Colombia. It separates the Caribbean from the Pacific.  to the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area.  is a massive phenomenon with dramatic male overrepresentation. (2) HIV and AIDS rates among U.S. Hispanics are disproportionately high, and the prevalence of heterosexual transmission is rising rapidly. (3) Evidence from migrants' countries of origin indicates that the epidemic is extending to rural areas in conjunction with migration, and that married women are particularly vulnerable to infection. (4) While a growing body of research has described the social and psychological contexts that render male migrants vulnerable to HIV infection, (5) relatively few studies have examined migrants' sexual behaviors sexual behavior A person's sexual practices–ie, whether he/she engages in heterosexual or homosexual activity. See Sex life, Sexual life. , and fewer still the socioeconomic correlates of risk. This lack of knowledge limits our ability to develop programs to reduce migration-related HIV risk in the United States and abroad.

Several factors connect migration and HIV. Migration brings an increased number and variety of people into contact with one another, raising the likelihood of infectious disease Infectious disease

A pathological condition spread among biological species. Infectious diseases, although varied in their effects, are always associated with viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multicellular parasites and aberrant proteins known as prions.
 transmission. (6) At the same time, migration is often associated with family separation, dramatic changes in cultural environment, social isolation and a greater sense of anonymity, which may encourage migrants to adopt high-risk sexual practices. (7) In addition, migrants' low income, poor work conditions, precarious legal status and limited proficiency in the host language often reduce their access to social services social services
Noun, pl

welfare services provided by local authorities or a state agency for people with particular social needs

social services nplservicios mpl sociales 
 and limit their ability to obtain reliable health information. (8) Finally, the male-dominated migrant flow, especially in the case of Mexican and Central American Central America

A region of southern North America extending from the southern border of Mexico to the northern border of Colombia. It separates the Caribbean Sea from the Pacific Ocean and is linked to South America by the Isthmus of Panama.
 migration to the United States, hinders the ability of migrants to find partners of the opposite sex and promotes the adoption of potentially risky sexual practices.

Although research on Hispanic migrants' sexual behavior is scant, previous studies have documented a relatively high prevalence of one such behavior-contact with commercial sex workers. Reported rates range from 30% among Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern  Mexican farmworkers to 18% among migrant farmworkers on the East Coast. (9) One study of 43 married Mexican men in Durham, North Carolina Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham CountyGR6 and is the fourth-largest city in the state by population. , found that 23% had a commercial sex worker among their most recent partners, (10) and in a study of 342 male migrants who returned to Mexico, 44% reported having visited commercial sex workers while in the United States. (11) The high prevalence of commercial sex worker use is directly associated with the social environment of migrant workers A migrant worker is someone who regularly works away from home, if they even have a home.[]

Although the United Nations' use of this term overlaps with 'foreign worker', the use of the term within the United States is more specific.
: Commercial sex workers actively solicit male migrants at labor camps Noun 1. labor camp - a penal institution for political prisoners who are used as forced labor
labour camp

camp - a penal institution (often for forced labor); "China has many camps for political prisoners"
, bars and other locations where they congregate con·gre·gate  
tr. & intr.v. con·gre·gat·ed, con·gre·gat·ing, con·gre·gates
To bring or come together in a group, crowd, or assembly. See Synonyms at gather.

adj.
1. Gathered; assembled.

2.
, often on paydays and in areas where migrants cash their paychecks. (12)

Previous studies, however, have focused almost exclusively on seasonal agricultural workers or migrants in the U.S.-Mexico border region. (13) Remarkably little information is available about the sexual practices of Hispanic migrants in metropolitan areas of the United States, even though urban areas have long been their preferred destination. (14) Information is particularly scarce regarding newly emerging destinations, such as Durham and other metropolitan areas in the Southeast that have experienced a rapid influx of migrants. In addition, most studies have employed small-scale qualitative designs. Such study designs can provide in-depth ethnographic eth·nog·ra·phy  
n.
The branch of anthropology that deals with the scientific description of specific human cultures.



eth·nog
 information about the social and cultural context undergirding commercial sex worker use, but have limited capacity to assess variation in patterns of commercial sex worker use according to according to
prep.
1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.

2. In keeping with: according to instructions.

3.
 men's social and demographic characteristics.

In this study, we examined commercial sex worker use among a randomly selected sample of foreign-born Hispanics in Durham. We concentrated on describing the likelihood and frequency of commercial sex worker use and examined how men's characteristics were related to such use. In addition, we assessed the likelihood of condom 1. condom - The protective plastic bag that accompanies 3.5-inch microfloppy diskettes. Rarely, also used of (paper) disk envelopes. Unlike the write protect tab, the condom (when left on) not only impedes the practice of SEX but has also been shown to have a high failure  use with commercial sex workers. Our approach examined commercial sex worker use in relation both to men's socioeconomic characteristics and to characteristics of the migration experience. We also assessed the effect of HIV knowledge and risk perception on the use of commercial sex workers, as these factors can be affected by policy interventions.

METHODS

Study Population

The data were drawn from 442 randomly selected migrant Hispanic men who were interviewed face-to-face in Durham between April 2002 and July 2003. Durham, like other cities in the Southeastern United States, has recently experienced exponential growth Extremely fast growth. On a chart, the line curves up rather than being straight. Contrast with linear.  in the Hispanic population, from 2,054 in 1990 to 17,039 in 2000; Hispanics now represent 8% of the city's total population, up from 1% in 1990. According to data from the 2000 census, (15) almost 75% of Hispanics in the city are foreign-born, and of those, 95% are from Mexico or Central America. Upward of more than; above.

See also: Upward
 85% of foreign-born Hispanics migrated to the United States between 1990 and 2000; the overwhelming majority are undocumented and lack legal authorization to work. As a result, their occupational diversity is limited; the majority are employed in either construction (52%) or food services food services Hospital services A 24/7 department in a hospital that provides for the nutritional needs of inpatients–eg, those needing special diets, preparing meals and transporting them to the floor and, through the cafeteria, the hospital staff and  (14%). As in most migrant populations, the gender composition of migrants in the region is uneven. In fact, the Raleigh-Durham area had the most unbalanced sex ratio among foreign-born Hispanics of any metropolitan area in the United States in 2000, (16) with 2.3 men aged 20-29 for every like-aged woman. The rapid increase in Hispanic representation in HIV cases in the area, from 1% to 4% between 1990 and 2001, (17) highlights the importance of HIV-related research in this population.

Data Collection

Studying a nascent nascent /nas·cent/ (nas´ent) (na´sent)
1. being born; just coming into existence.

2. just liberated from a chemical combination, and hence more reactive because uncombined.
 migrant community poses several methodological challenges. (18) Gaining access to the community and building the trust necessary to gather information on sensitive issues such as sexual behavior and immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important.  status can be difficult. We relied heavily on community-based participatory research Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is research that is conducted as an equal partnership between traditionally trained "experts" and members of a community. In CBPR projects, the community participates fully in all aspects of the research process.  to achieve these ends. Specifically, we worked extensively with 14 members of the migrant Hispanic community, who have been directly involved in every stage of the research, including formulating and revising the questionnaire, identifying survey locales and developing strategies to guarantee the collection of meaningful information. * In addition, the group members were trained as interviewers and conducted all surveys. The group was instrumental in enabling us to reach the fledgling Hispanic community in Durham. Group members facilitated the collection of sensitive information and helped us achieve a response rate of 90%, a figure that is much higher than those reported in other random surveys of recent migrants. (19) The group continues to provide culturally grounded commentary that guides the interpretation of our analyses.

The small size of the Hispanic community in Durham complicated the use of simple survey techniques and required special considerations for selecting a random sample. Through our extensive involvement with the community, we identified 13 apartment complexes and blocks that house large numbers of Hispanic migrants. We then conducted a census of all 2,100 housing units in these buildings and blocks, and drew a simple random sample In statistics, a simple random sample is a group of subjects (a sample) chosen from a larger group (a population). Each subject from the population is chosen randomly and entirely by chance, such that each subject has the same probability of being chosen at any stage during the  of men.

The precarious legal situation of migrants made it difficult to randomly select individuals within the housing unit; prior experience suggested that residents were wary of divulging information about other residents and often were not familiar with their housemates' personal information, such as birthdays. Thus, interviewers were instructed to survey any eligible man who answered the door (i.e., someone who was foreign-born, Hispanic and aged 18-49), or if this person was ineligible, to ask for a qualifying person to interview. Respondents were paid $25 for their participation. After the interviewer established trust with the interviewee, basic information about other household residents was collected. Comparing respondents' characteristics with those of other household members showed no obvious bias due to our method of choosing respondents within the household.

Information from the 2000 census revealed that nearly 75% of Hispanics in Durham live in areas similar to those in which the 13 apartment complexes are located--i.e., in blocks that are 25-60% Hispanic. An even higher percentage of Hispanics may live in such areas, but block-level data identifying the foreign-born population were not available. In addition, we estimated that more than 7,000 Mexican and Central American migrants, or nearly 70% of the total Mexican and Central American population of Durham, resided in the apartment complexes included in our sample.

Statistical Analysis

Using a semistructured questionnaire, interviewers collected detailed information on demographic, social and economic characteristics, as well as data on migration experience and family arrangements, including partners' characteristics and place of residence. In addition, extensive information on sexual practices, including the use of commercial sex workers in Durham, was collected. Two survey questions provided the data for the dependent variables in the analysis: Migrants were asked if they had used the services of a commercial sex worker during the past year in Durham and, if so, the number of times they had done so. The survey also included a series of questions on condom use in the commercial sex setting.

Independent variables in the analysis were socioeconomic factors that could have influenced sexual behavior: country of origin, age, marital status marital status,
n the legal standing of a person in regard to his or her marriage state.
 (including whether a spouse or partner was present), education and hourly wages. We also considered two elements of the migration experience: length of residence in Durham and whether the respondent had lived in another U.S. location before migrating to Durham. Finally, we considered the impact of AIDS knowledge and perceived HIV infection risk on behavior with commercial sex workers. AIDS knowledge was assessed by asking respondents to agree or disagree with Verb 1. disagree with - not be very easily digestible; "Spicy food disagrees with some people"
hurt - give trouble or pain to; "This exercise will hurt your back"
 the following statements: Teenagers can get AIDS; any person with HIV can pass it on to someone else during intercourse; you can tell by someone's appearance whether he or she has AIDS; and AIDS is transmitted by sharing plates, forks or glasses with someone who has the AIDS virus AIDS virus
n.
See HIV.
, by using public restrooms, by kissing or exchanging saliva with someone who is HIV-positive, by mosquito or insect bites, and by sharing needles. The number of correct responses represented the AIDS knowledge score. Perceived HIV infection risk was assessed by asking respondents how concerned they were about becoming infected with the virus that causes AIDS, and allowing them to select one of the following: very concerned, somewhat concerned and not concerned.

In the multivariate analysis multivariate analysis,
n a statistical approach used to evaluate multiple variables.

multivariate analysis,
n a set of techniques used when variation in several variables has to be studied simultaneously.
, separate models were used to assess the socioeconomic factors affecting the likelihood and the frequency of commercial sex worker visits. We applied logistic regression In statistics, logistic regression is a regression model for binomially distributed response/dependent variables. It is useful for modeling the probability of an event occurring as a function of other factors.  techniques (20) for the analysis of the dichotomous di·chot·o·mous  
adj.
1. Divided or dividing into two parts or classifications.

2. Characterized by dichotomy.



di·chot
 variable indicating whether a migrant visited a commercial sex worker in the past year. * The frequency of commercial sex worker visits did not follow a normal distribution. Thus, ordinary least squares regression was inappropriate for analysis. Instead, frequency of visits was treated as the realization of a Poisson distribution A statistical method developed by the 18th century French mathematician S. D. Poisson, which is used for predicting the probable distribution of a series of events. For example, when the average transaction volume in a communications system can be estimated, Poisson distribution is used  (21) and modeled using count data techniques. ([dagger])

In the descriptive data, the independent variables were treated categorically; in the multivariate analysis, most variables were treated as continuous.

The final part of the analysis focused on reported condom use with commercial sex workers and on condom decision-making. The respondents were asked if they had ever had sexual relations sexual relations
pl.n.
1. Sexual intercourse.

2. Sexual activity between individuals.
 with a commercial sex worker in the United States and, if so, how many times they had done so in the last year. Those who said they had visited commercial sex workers were asked how often they used condoms and were allowed to select one of the following: always, sometimes or never. In addition, they were asked how often they would use a condom (always, sometimes or never) if a commercial sex worker had a good reputation or they knew her well.

RESULTS

Sample Characteristics

Mexicans made up the largest migrant Hispanic group in Durham (71% of the sample), followed by Hondurans (16%) and Salvadorans (9%); the remaining men were from other Central American countries Noun 1. Central American country - any one of the countries occupying Central America; these countries (except for Belize and Costa Rica) are characterized by low per capita income and unstable governments
Central American nation
 (Table 1), primarily Guatemala. Within their countries of origin, the migrants were from diverse areas (including 26 states in Mexico alone), encompassing rural villages, small towns and metropolitan areas.

The average age of respondents was 29.4 years (not shown); three-quarters of men were 25 or older. Marital status varied considerably. Most men (62%) were married, but only 40% were married and living with their spouse. Nearly one-quarter (22%) of all men were married but living apart from their wives, who most often continued to reside in the migrants' communities of origin. The proportion of men living apart from their wives was greater among Mexicans (25%) than among their Salvadoran (13%) and Honduran (17%) counterparts (not shown).

The respondents had an average of 7.6 years of education; 21% had 10 or more years of education, 38% had 7-9 years and 41% had six or fewer years. The average wage was slightly less than $10 an hour, although 37% earned less than $8 per hour and 32% earned more than $10 per hour. Most had lived in Durham for fewer than seven years; average residency was 5.1 years. However, a considerable proportion (44%) of the respondents had moved to Durham from another U.S. location. While these migrants' additional U.S. experience could facilitate their adaptation, they had an average of only 3.6 more years of U.S. residence than direct migrants.

The majority of men scored perfectly on the eight-item AIDS knowledge scale, and the average number of incorrect responses was only 1.4. The vast majority of men perceived their personal risk of AIDS to be medium or low, but 28% reported being very concerned about becoming infected with HIV.

Use of Commercial Sex Workers

Overall, 28% of the men surveyed had used the services of a commercial sex worker during the previous year (Table 1). This rate is similar to the one found among farmworkers in California, (22) but much higher than the 5% estimated in Mexico. (23) Among those visiting a commercial sex worker, the average number of visits in the past year was 7.7, with considerable dispersion evident in the standard deviation In statistics, the average amount a number varies from the average number in a series of numbers.

(statistics) standard deviation - (SD) A measure of the range of values in a set of numbers.
. Most men visited commercial sex workers infrequently; half reported four or fewer visits during the past year.

The proportion of men reporting visits to commercial sex workers was 30% among Mexicans, 28% among Hondurans, 16% among Salvadorans and 22% among other men; the annual frequency of visits among those visiting commercial sex workers was 8.0, 7.3, 3.8 and 6.7, respectively. The proportion reporting commercial sex worker use was 35% among men younger than 25, 24% among men aged 25-34 and 29% among men 35 or older.

Forty-six percent of single men and 40% of married men living apart from their wives visited commercial sex workers, as did 5% of men living with their spouses. Among men reporting visits to commercial sex workers, the annual frequency of visits was 8.4 among single men, 5.9 among married men living without their spouses and 8.8 among married men living with their spouses.

In the multivariate analysis, characteristics directly connected with the migration process were associated with the likelihood of commercial sex worker use, and men's general characteristics were related to variation in the frequency of visits to commercial sex workers.

Neither national origin nor age predicted commercial sex worker use once other factors were taken into account (Table 2). Not surprisingly, most of the variation in the likelihood of commercial sex worker use was explained by marital status and the presence or absence of a spouse. Married men who lived with a spouse were significantly less likely than single men to visit a commercial sex worker (odds ratio, 0.1), but married men whose wives lived in their country of origin were just as likely as single men to have visited a commercial sex worker in the previous year. Married men with an absent spouse reported less frequent visits to such workers than single men, although the result was of borderline borderline /bor·der·line/ (-lin) of a phenomenon, straddling the dividing line between two categories.
borderline 
 significance (incidence rate ratio, 0.7). Financial responsibilities associated with maintaining a family abroad may contribute to these differences. Married men living without their wives were more likely than single men to be sending wages to their families (93% vs. 80%), and they sent an average of $550 per month, compared with $400 per month for single men (not shown). It is important to note that the 5% of men living with their wives in Durham who visit commercial sex workers do so at a rate that is not significantly different from that of single men.

Education was not associated with the use of commercial sex workers, although a higher level of education was associated with less frequent visits to commercial sex workers (0.9). Men with more education may have a greater awareness of the health risks associated with commercial sex workers, and thus may limit their frequency of visits. Hourly wages were not associated with the use of commercial sex workers, but the higher the wages, the more frequent the visits (1.1). This is not surprising, considering that payments to commercial sex workers constitute a significant expense for migrant workers. Informal discussions with the respondents suggested that a 15-minute session with a commercial sex worker costs an average of $30, or roughly three hours of a typical migrant's wages.

Duration of residence in Durham appears to be a predictor of both the likelihood and the frequency of visits to commercial sex workers, but the results were only marginally significant. Every additional year in Durham was associated with a nearly 10% reduction in men's odds of visiting a commercial sex worker and in their frequency of visits. As migrants accumulate time in the United States Time in the United States, by law, is divided into nine standard time zones covering the states and its possessions, with most of the United States observing daylight saving time for part of the year. , their ability to secure noncommercial partners most likely increases, which may discourage commercial sex worker use.

Finally, AIDS knowledge did not predict commercial sex worker use, but a finding of borderline significance suggests that migrants who perceived their risk of acquiring HIV to be high visited commercial sex workers less often than men with lower perceptions of risk.

Condom Use with Commercial Sex Workers

A large proportion of respondents--92%--reported always using condoms with commercial sex workers (Table 3). This rate of consistent use is higher than the 70% reported in a study conducted in the early 1990s of return migrants to Mexico, (24) but similar to the rate found in a large survey in Mexico in which commercial sex workers reported condom use in 91% of sexual transactions. (25) While commercial sex workers themselves generally insist upon condom use, there is also evidence of willingness to use condoms among Hispanic men; 52% of migrants reported that they had made the decision to use condoms with commercial sex workers, and 25% reported that the decision was mutual.

It bears emphasizing that while condom use with commercial sex workers was common in the study, it was not universal. More important, the proportion of men reporting that they would always use a condom with commercial sex workers dropped to 87% if the men felt that the commercial sex worker had a good reputation and to 64% if they knew her well. Thus, men with the greatest risk of HIV infection because of frequent visits to commercial sex workers may have further elevated risk because the perceived need to use condoms falls with familiarity with a sex worker.

DISCUSSION

Use of commercial sex workers is widespread among Hispanic migrants in Durham. Almost half of single men and 40% of married men living apart from their wives reported visiting a commercial sex worker during the previous year. The high rate of reported condom use with commercial sex workers could be an important factor moderating HIV risk. However, condom use is not universal and may fall precipitously pre·cip·i·tous  
adj.
1. Resembling a precipice; extremely steep. See Synonyms at steep1.

2. Having several precipices: a precipitous bluff.

3.
 as familiarity with the commercial sex worker increases. Furthermore, condoms are less than 100% effective in blocking HIV transmission. (26)

Thus, commercial sex worker use poses a threat not only to migrants' own health, but also to the health of their noncommercial partners. The cyclical nature of migration to the United States from Latin America Latin America, the Spanish-speaking, Portuguese-speaking, and French-speaking countries (except Canada) of North America, South America, Central America, and the West Indies. , particularly from Mexico, implies that large numbers of migrants are likely to return to their country of origin and have sexual contact with partners in their home communities. Condom use in primary and even secondary relationships is remarkably low in migrant-sending regions, and heterosexual transmission of HIV has been rising in these areas, particularly among women. (27) Our findings indicate the need for more effective strategies to reduce commercial sex worker use and promote condom use among migrants while they reside in the United States.

It is possible that more established migrants were underrepresented un·der·rep·re·sent·ed  
adj.
Insufficiently or inadequately represented: the underrepresented minority groups, ignored by the government. 
 in the study because of our data collection methods. However, our data collection strategy was far superior to alternative approaches, such as convenience or snowball sampling For other uses, see Snowball (disambiguation).

In social science research, snowball sampling is a technique for developing a research sample where existing study subjects recruit future subjects from among their acquaintances.
, prevalent in research on small populations. (28) The relatively large size and random representation of our sample enhance the validity and generalizability of our findings, and provide valuable information for HIV prevention programs for Hispanic migrants on their countries of origin and destination.

The multivariate analysis provides several insights that may be useful for the development of such initiatives. There are three primary ways to limit HIV risk associated with commercial sex worker use: Limit the number of men who ever visit commercial sex workers, reduce the frequency of men's visits to commercial sex workers and increase condom use.

Our results suggest that to be effective, such efforts need to address broader issues surrounding Hispanic immigration to the United States This article may be too long.
Please discuss this issue on the talk page and help summarize or split the content into subarticles of an article series.
. Commercial sex worker use is far more common among Hispanic migrants than among men in Mexico and does not vary systematically by age, education, income, AIDS knowledge or perceptions of risk. Thus, commercial sex worker use is a fairly generalized phenomenon that accompanies labor migration to the region. The few characteristics that predict commercial sex worker use are embedded Inserted into. See embedded system.  within intractable elements of the migration process itself, complicating the design of effective public health interventions health intervention Health care An activity undertaken to prevent, improve, or stabilize a medical condition . Specifically, commercial sex worker use among Hispanic migrants often stems from the highly unbalanced gender composition in the community and the fact that it contains a significant number of married men living apart from their wives for extended periods of time. Given the current political climate regarding immigration and increases in border patrol activity that have made illegal crossings into the United States more perilous, it is unlikely that the male overrepresentation will be resolved in the near future.

The current study offers insight into some possible strategies to limit the use of commercial sex workers. The fact that commercial sex worker use fell as men's familiarity with Durham increased suggests that reducing migrants' isolation and facilitating social interaction might enhance the possibility of encountering noncommercial sex partners. Overall, this finding highlights the need for HIV prevention efforts that move beyond targeted informational campaigns and take into account social context, particularly the isolation and loneliness that often plague recent migrants.

Our results offer guidelines for preventive efforts aimed at limiting migrants' frequency of commercial sex worker visits. Educational attainment Educational attainment is a term commonly used by statisticans to refer to the highest degree of education an individual has completed.[1]

The US Census Bureau Glossary defines educational attainment as "the highest level of education completed in terms of the
, economic constraints and time in the United States are related to reduced frequency of commercial sex worker visits and thus HIV risk. Intervention efforts should therefore be targeted to those who are most vulnerable, particularly single men, the less educated and the most recent arrivals to Durham. Particularly important for policy implementation is the finding that greater awareness of the risk for infection with HIV is associated, albeit marginally, with a reduction in the number of commercial sex worker visits. This suggests that broader and far-reaching instructional campaigns that directly inform migrants about the risk of commercial sex worker use and HIV refection REFECTION, civil law. Reparation, reestablishment of a building. Dig. 19, 1, 6, 1.  can be efficacious ef·fi·ca·cious  
adj.
Producing or capable of producing a desired effect. See Synonyms at effective.



[From Latin effic
.

Finally, our findings on condom use suggest additional avenues for public health interventions. While much of the impetus for condom use with commercial sex workers begins with those in the industry, many migrants reported that they themselves decided to use condoms with commercial sex workers. This indicates that some public health initiatives on HIV are reaching this group. However, there is a need to continue public information campaigns on condom use, to develop interventions for both suppliers and consumers of commercial sex, and to incorporate a transnational dimension by reaching men both in the United States and in their countries of origin. These campaigns should emphasize the importance of condom use even with commercial sex workers who have good reputations or who are well known to clients, since these are the situations in which migrants' resolve to use condoms appears weakest.
TABLE 1. Percentage distribution of Hispanic migrant men
participating in a survey on use of commercial sex workers,
percentage who visited commercial sex workers in the previous
year and, among these, mean number of visits (and
standard deviations), by selected characteristics, Durham,
North Carolina, 2002-20031 Characteristic

                                 % of sample   % who used    Mean no.
                                  (N = 442)    commercial    of visits
                                               sex worker

Total                               100.0         28.1       7.7 (8.3)

Country of origin
El Salvador                           8.6         15.7       3.8 (1.5)
Honduras                             15.6         27.5       7.3 (6.2)
Mexico                               70.6         30.1       8.0 (9.0)
Other                                 5.1         21.7       6.7 (5.1)

Age
[less than or equal to] 24           26.9         35.3       8.7 (11.1)
25-34                                50.7         23.7       6.6 (5.7)
[greater than or equal to] 35        22.4         29.3       8.2 (7.6)

Marital status
Single                               37.6         45.8       8.4 (8.2)
Married, spouse
  in Durham                          40.3         5.1        8.8 (15.0)
Married, spouse in
  country of origin                  22.2         39.8       5.9 (6.3)

Education (yrs.)
0-6                                  41.2         26.9       9.0 (10.0)
7-9                                  38.2         30.1       7.6 (7.9)
[greater than or equal to] 10        20.6         26.4       5.2 (4.3)

Hourly wage
<$8                                  37.3         27.9       5.3 (4.8)
$8-10                                30.5         33.3       8.4 (8.7)
>$10                                 32.1         23.2      10.0 (10.7)

Residence in Durham (yrs.)
[less than or equal to] 3            33.0         30.1       9.0 (11.0)
4-6                                  40.3         30.9       7.4 (6.9)
[greater than or equal to] 7         26.7         21.1       5.8 (4.7)

Migration
Internal U.S.
  migrant ([dagger])                 44.1         29.2       8.2 (6.3)
Direct from country
  of origin                          55.9         27.1       7.2 (9.7)

AIDS knowledge ([double
  dagger])
Perfect                              69.0         24.1       6.3 (6.3)
Imperfect                            31.0         29.8       8.2 (8.9)

Perceived AIDS risk
High                                 27.8         39.0       6.1 (5.6)
Low/medium                           72.2         23.8       8.7 (9.6)

([dagger]) Foreign-born migrants who lived in another U.S. location
before moving to Durham.

([double dagger]) Assessed through eight-item scale. Perfect knowledge
signifies no incorrect responses.

TABLE 2. Odds ratios and incidence rate ratios (and 95%
confidence intervals) predicting Hispanic migrant men's
use of and frequency of visits to commercial sex workers,
by selected characteristics

Characteristics         Use of commercial    Frequency of visits
                        sex workers
Country of origin
  Mexico (ref)          1.00                 1.00
  El Salvador           0.64 (0.24-1.75)     0.64 (0.20-2.03)
  Honduras              0.81 (0.41-1.58)     0.84 (0.53-1.34)
  Other                 0.68 (0.21-2.20)     0.95 (0.36-2.52)
Age                     1.02 (0.98-1.06)     1.01 (0.98-1.04)
Marital status
  Single (ref)          1.00                 1.00
  Married, spouse
    in Durham           0.06 * (0.03-0.14)   0.88 (0.84-1.62)
  Married, spouse in
    country of origin   0.69 (0.37-1.28)     0.70 ([dagger])
                                               (0.45-1.07)
Yrs. of education       1.01 (0.94-1.10)     0.93 * (0.88-0.98)
Hourly wage             1.01 (0.93-1.11)     1.10 * (1.03-1.18)
Yrs. in Durham          0.931(0.86-1.01)     0.95 ([dagger])
                                               (0.88-1.02)
Internal U.S. migrant   1.36 (0.82-2.27)     1.07 (0.75-1.53)
AIDS knowledge scale    1.07 (0.89-1.28)     0.95 (0.83-1.10)
Perceived AIDS risk     1.44 (0.86-2.40)     0.74 ([dagger])
                                               (0.51-1.07)
Scale parameter         na                   2.47
Likelihood ratio
  [chi square]          101.5                25.5

* p < .05. ([dagger]) p < .10. Notes. Internal U.S. migrant was a
dichotomous variable. All other variables for which no reference
group is shown were continuous. ref = reference group.
na = not applicable.

TABLE 3. Percentage of Hispanic migrant men who reported
visits to commercial sex workers, by condom-related
behaviors and attitudes

behaviors and attitudes                                %
Behavior/attitude
Always used condom                                    91.7
Who decided to use
  Migrant                                             52.2
  Commercial sex worker                               23.0
  Both                                                24.8
Would always use if sex worker had good reputation    86.9
Would always use if sex worker was well known         64.2


Acknowledgments

Funding for this project was provided by grant NR08052-04 from the National Institute of Nursing Research The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), as part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, supports clinical and basic research to establish a scientific basis for the care of individuals across the life span--from management of patients during illness and recovery, to . We would like to thank research assistants Amanda Phillips Martinez and Leonardo Uribe, El Centro El Centro (ĕl sĕn`trō), city (1990 pop. 31,384), seat of Imperial co., SE Calif., near the Mexican border; inc. 1908. It is a processing and shipping center for a heavily irrigated agricultural region (vegetables, grain, cotton,  Hispano, our community-based participatory research colleagues and the Hispanic community of Durham, NC.

* An initial group of members was recruited from involvement in focus groups and an HIV prevention lay health advisory program in conjunction with El Centro Hispano, a local Hispanic advocacy organization. This group was later expanded to include additional men and women connected to El Centro Hispano who were interested in public health and community involvement.

* The model was estimated as In[p/(1-p)]=a+BX, where p is the probability of the event's occurring, X is a vector of independent variables and a and B are parameters to be estimated.

([dagger]) It was assumed that the dependent variable, the number of visits to a commercial sex worker, follows a Poisson process A Poisson process, named after the French mathematician Siméon-Denis Poisson (1781 - 1840), is a stochastic process which is used for modeling random events in time that occur to a large extent independently of one another (the word event , such that In(m)=a+BX, where the log of the mean (m) is assumed to be a linear function of the independent variables X, and a and B are parameters to be estimated. This specification implies that the mean number of visits to a commercial sex worker is the exponential function exponential function

In mathematics, a function in which a constant base is raised to a variable power. Exponential functions are used to model changes in population size, in the spread of diseases, and in the growth of investments.
 of independent variables. To account for the potential overdispersion arising from the effect of latent and uncontrolled factors, we relaxed the assumption that the variance equals the mean and estimated the scale parameter In probability theory and statistics, a scale parameter is a special kind of numerical parameter of a parametric family of probability distributions. Definition
If a family of probability densities with parameter s is of the form

 of the Poisson distribution as the square root of the ratio of the deviance Conspicuous dissimilarity with, or variation from, customarily acceptable behavior.

Deviance implies a lack of compliance to societal norms, such as by engaging in activities that are frowned upon by society and frequently have legal sanctions as well, for example, the
 to its associated degrees of freedom using the GENMOD procedure with the option DSCALE in SAS (1) (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, www.sas.com) A software company that specializes in data warehousing and decision support software based on the SAS System. Founded in 1976, SAS is one of the world's largest privately held software companies. See SAS System. . (Source: Pedan A, Analysis of count data using the SAS system (1) Originally called the "Statistical Analysis System," it is an integrated set of data management and decision support tools from SAS that runs on platforms from PCs to mainframes. , in: SAS, Proceedings of the Twenty-Sixth Annual SAS Users Group International Conference, 2001, <www2.sas.com/proceedings/sugi26/proceed.pdf>, accessed Oct. 5, 2003.)

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Author contact: eparrado@soc.duke.edu

Emilio A. Parrado is assistant professor, Department of Sociology, and Chenoa A. Flippen is senior research scientist, Center for Demographic Studies, both at Duke University, Durham, NC. Chris McQuiston is associate professor, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public, coeducational, research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Also known as The University of North Carolina, Carolina, North Carolina, or simply UNC .
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