Situating HIV risk in the lives of formerly trafficked female sex workers on the Mexico–US border

Abstract

Due to stigma and the psychosocial repercussions of past trauma and abuse, survivors of sex trafficking may experience increased susceptibility to violence, revictimization, and various harmful health outcomes, including HIV infection. Given the paucity of research characterizing the experiences of formerly trafficked female sex workers (FSWs), we set out to describe and contextualize perceptions of HIV risk among women who have experienced past episodes of sex trafficking and who are currently engaged in sex work in Tijuana, Mexico. Based on semi-structured interviews and ethnographic fieldwork, we describe the following interrelated themes as influencing formerly trafficked FSWs' perceptions and experiences of HIV risk: economic vulnerability; susceptibility to violence; and psychological trauma. Our findings highlight the need for HIV prevention efforts to incorporate broader structural and social interventions aimed at reducing vulnerability to violence and human rights abuses among this population and improving their general economic, psychological, and social well-being.

Keywords:

• sex trafficking
• HIV
• sex work
• violence
• Mexico border

Acknowledgements

This study is funded by the Berkeley Health Initiative of the Americas’ Programa de Investigación en Migración y Salud (Research Program on Migration and Health) and the National Institutes of Health (NIDA R01 DA027772). SG received training support from the Canada-US Fulbright Program and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, as well as travel support from the UCSD Center for Iberian and Latin American Studies. We would also like to thank the field staff in Tijuana and all of the participants who made this study possible.