Cecilia Gayet

Migration and AIDS in Mexico: An overview based on recent evidence

Objectives:Provide an overview of the relation between migration to the United States and AIDS cases in Mexico. Characterize the sexual behaviors of Mexican migrants. Describe HIV/AIDS prevention and clinical attention actions developed. Methods:The following were analyzed: AIDS cases databases, various prevalence studies, the migrants survey, and information of the Ministries of the Interior and of Health. A documental analysis was undertaken of works published between 1992 and 2000 on migration and AIDS. Results:In terms of their sexual practices, migrants in the past year had more sexual partners, tended to use a condom in their most recent relation in greater proportion, and had greater use of injected medicines and drugs. Two bi-national programs undertake epidemiological surveillance activities, while several initiatives have used innovative formats to provide prevention information to migrants. Imminent universal coverage leaves the challenge to assure quality of attention for migrants. Conclusions:Studies to evaluate the impact of international migration on distribution of infected persons will be indispensable to establish priorities in prevention and attention among migrants. More information is needed on bi-national health projects to understand the impact they may have in prevention, while continuity of the prevention initiatives must be guaranteed. Attention to migrants in bi-national contexts requires information exchange agreements on migrants living with the HIV/AIDS.

Uso del condón entre adolescentes mexicanos para la prevención de las infecciones de transmisión sexual

Objective. To investigate the current sexual behavior and condom use during the first sexual intercourse among adolescents, as well as variations and factors influencing condom use at first sexual intercourse. Material and Methods. The data source for this study was Mexico’s National Health Survey 2000. Study subjects were male and female adolescents aged 12 to 19 years (n=16,258). Statistical analysis consisted of descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression, to assess the association of four types of factors (demographic, socioeconomic, cultural, and cognitive) with condom use during the first sexual intercourse. Results. Males and residents of urban areas reported greater sexual activity and condom use. Typically, adolescents who used condoms during the first sexual intercourse were male, older, resided in urban areas, non-speakers of an indigenous language, and with higher schooling. Conclusions. New policies should be framed to prevent sexually transmitted infections to span the gap between knowledge and practice, targeting adolescents starting sexual activity earlier, those who speak an indigenous language, living in rural areas, with less schooling, and females. The English version of this paper is available too at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html

Con quién hablan los adolescentes mexicanos sobre el SIDA

AbstractObjective . To establish whether certain characteristics ofthe young influence their choice of people with whom todiscuss AIDS. Material and Methods . A national surveywas conducted in 1997 by the Consejo Nacional para laPrevencion y Control del SIDA (CONASIDA, MexicanCouncil for AIDS Prevention and Control). Study subjectswere 4886 male and female 15-19 year-old teenagers.Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze data. Results . A model including the variables sex, sexual activity,work conditions, and father’s schooling level, turned out tobe significant and highly predictive of people with whomteenagers discuss AIDS, as compared to teenagers spea-king with no one. Male teenagers discuss AIDS with theirfathers more than female teenagers, and female teenagersdiscuss AIDS more with their mothers. Sexually activeteenagers discuss AIDS more with their friends and lesswith their teachers than sexually inactive teenagers. Thegreater schooling level the father has, the more people tee-nagers have with whom to discuss AIDS and the more theydiscuss AIDS at home, compared to teenagers with fatherswithout schooling.

Sexual Practices of Latin America and the Caribbean

Research on sexual behavior has increased in recent decades as a result not only of the outbreak of HIV/AIDS, but also of the difficulties raised by sexual and reproductive health policies. There is huge regional variation, both in the amount of knowledge about sexuality and the trends, mostly due to differences in the economic, social, and cultural determinants of sexual behavior (Wellings et al. 2006; Bozon 2003; Lloyd 2005). Designing interventions in the field of sexual health thus requires a good knowledge of region-specific trends. While many investigations focus on Africa or Europe and other high-income countries, and knowledge of Asia is rather scarce, Latin America falls in the middle, with a growing body of research on sexual behavior.

Fertility Transition: Latin America and the Caribbean

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by G. Rodriguez, volume 8, pp. 5584–5588,