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Perceived Stigma of Purchasing Sex Among Latino and Non-Latino Male Clients of Female Sex Workers in Tijuana, Mexico

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Abstract

HIV prevention efforts must be comprehensive in their understanding of the factors involved in HIV risk. Male clients, who have received less research attention than female sex workers (FSWs), may experience stigma as a function of purchasing sex. Perceived stigma may be related to poor psychological outcomes, risky psychosexual characteristics, and higher drug and sexual risk behavior among male clients of FSWs. However, perceived stigma of purchasing sex may differ between clients of different ethnic groups. In the present study, we examine the correlates of perceived stigma of purchasing sex among Latino versus non-Latino male clients of FSWs in Tijuana, Mexico. Using time-location sampling, we recruited 375 male clients (323 Latino, 52 non-Latino) in Tijuana who completed a computerized survey on various measures. We measured perceived stigma of purchasing sex using three items we developed for this study. Using linear regression analyses we found that perceived stigma was associated with greater guilt, a greater feeling of escape from everyday life, and more negative condom attitudes among Latino clients. This was not found among non-Latino clients. Features of Latino culture, like machismo, and how they may relate to stigma of purchasing sex are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

Preparation of this manuscript was supported by a National Institute on Drug Abuse training fellowship for Eileen V. Pitpitan (T32DA023356), Karla D. Wagner (K01DA031031) and a National Institute of Mental Health training fellowship for Valerie A. Earnshaw (T32MH02003). This project was funded by a National Institute on Drug Abuse grant R01DA029008. Correspondence should be addressed to Eileen V. Pitpitan, epitpitan@ucsd.edu, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0507, La Jolla, CA 92093-0507.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA

    Eileen V. Pitpitan, Steffanie A. Strathdee, Shirley J. Semple, Karla D. Wagner & Claudia V. Chavarin

  2. Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale University, New Haven, USA

    Valerie A. Earnshaw

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA

    Thomas L. Patterson

Authors
  1. Eileen V. Pitpitan
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  2. Steffanie A. Strathdee
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  3. Shirley J. Semple
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  4. Karla D. Wagner
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  5. Claudia V. Chavarin
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  6. Valerie A. Earnshaw
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  7. Thomas L. Patterson
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Correspondence to Eileen V. Pitpitan.

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Pitpitan, E.V., Strathdee, S.A., Semple, S.J. et al. Perceived Stigma of Purchasing Sex Among Latino and Non-Latino Male Clients of Female Sex Workers in Tijuana, Mexico. J Immigrant Minority Health 17, 172–180 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9895-4

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