Deportation History Among HIV-Positive Latinos in Two US–Mexico Border Communities

• Published in: Journal of immigrant and minority health Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 104 - 111
• Main Authors: Muñoz, Fátima A., Servin, Argentina E., Garfein, Richard S., Ojeda, Victoria D., Rangel, Gudelia, Zúñiga, María Luisa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer Science + Business Media 01.02.2015; Springer US; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adult; AIDS; Analysis; Antiretroviral agents; Barriers; Boundaries; Child Development; Cocaine; Community Relations; Comparative Law; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demography; Deportation; Drug use; Educational Attainment; Emigration and Immigration - legislation & jurisprudence; Female; Gender Discrimination; Hispanic Americans; Hispanic Americans - legislation & jurisprudence; Hispanic people; HIV; HIV Seropositivity; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Immigrants; Immigration; Immigration policy; International & Foreign Law; International boundaries; Male; Marital Status; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mexico; Narcotics; Noncitizens; ORIGINAL PAPER; Patient compliance; Prisoners - legislation & jurisprudence; Private International Law; Public Health; Risk Factors; Social Services; Social Stigma; Sociodemographics; Sociology; Stigma; Studies; United States; United States > US; Mexico; HIV/AIDS; Deportation; Latinos/Hispanics; Stigma; ART adherence
• ISSN: 1557-1912; 1557-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s10903-013-9929-y

Health-related vulnerabilities associated with deportation are understudied. We conducted a cross-sectional study to identify factors associated with history of deportation from the US to Mexico among HIV-positive Latinos. From 2009 to 2010, we recruited a convenience sample from HIV clinics in San Diego, US and Tijuana, Mexico. Of 283 participants, 25 % reported a prior deportation. Factors independently associated with increased odds of deportation history were being male [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.77; 95 % CI 1.18–6.48], having ≤high-school education (AOR 3.87; 95 % CI 1.84–8.14), ever using cocaine (AOR 2.46; 95 % CI 1.33–4.57), and reporting personalized HIV-stigma: “some have told me HIV is what I deserve for how I lived” (AOR 2.23; 95 % CI 1.14–4.37). Lower self-reported antiretroviral medication adherence (AOR 0.35; 95 % CI 0.12–0.96) and perceiving HIV-stigma: “most people believe a person who has HIV is dirty” (AOR 0.49; 95 % CI 0.25–0.94) were associated with decreased odds of deportation history. Deportation is associated with specific socioeconomic indicators that are known to impact the health of individuals living with HIV.