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HIV Testing Behaviors Among Undocumented Central American Immigrant Women in Houston, Texas

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Abstract

This paper describes HIV testing behaviors among undocumented Central American immigrant women living in Houston, Texas, USA. Respondent driven sampling was used to recruit participants for an HIV behavioral survey. HIV testing items included lifetime history of testing, date and location of the most recent test, and reason for testing. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the demographic, behavioral, and structural characteristics associated with testing. The lifetime prevalence of HIV testing was 67%. Half of those who tested did so within the past 2 years and almost 80% received their most recent test in a healthcare setting. The primary reason for testing was pregnancy. Lifetime testing was associated with being from Honduras, having over a sixth grade education, having a regular healthcare provider, and having knowledge of available healthcare resources. Our results suggest that expanding access to healthcare services may increase the prevalence of HIV testing in this population.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a Dissertation Research Grant from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Grant 1R36PS001440-01) and a Student Field Activities Award from The University of Texas School of Public Health. Additionally, JRM received support from the UTHealth Innovation for Cancer Prevention Research Pre-Doctoral Fellowship (The University of Texas School of Public Health—Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Grant # RP101503). The content of this manuscript is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, The University of Texas School of Public Health, 1200 Herman Pressler Dr., RAS-336, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Jane R. Montealegre & Jan M. Risser

  2. Division of Management, Policy, and Community Health, The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA

    Beatrice J. Selwyn

  3. Vietnam Country Office, World Health Organization, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Keith Sabin

  4. Division of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA

    Sheryl A. McCurdy

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  1. Jane R. Montealegre
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  2. Jan M. Risser
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  3. Beatrice J. Selwyn
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  4. Keith Sabin
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  5. Sheryl A. McCurdy
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Correspondence to Jane R. Montealegre.

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Montealegre, J.R., Risser, J.M., Selwyn, B.J. et al. HIV Testing Behaviors Among Undocumented Central American Immigrant Women in Houston, Texas. J Immigrant Minority Health 14, 116–123 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-011-9534-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-011-9534-x

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