Perceptions Regarding Sexual Health and HIV Risk Among Female Farmworkers

描述（由申请人提供）：居住在美国的农场工人携带的艾滋病毒感染负担是一般人群的10倍。从墨西哥来到美国的移徙农场工人生活在农村地区，被主流社会边缘化，通常没有证件，往往无法获得必要的保健和预防服务。特别是女性产妇构成了一个独特的群体，她们面临着感染艾滋病毒的高风险。这种性风险与亲密伴侣暴力的威胁、低社会支持、低艾滋病毒知识、高风险伴侣，特别是可能影响关系权力和面对不忠时谈判保护性性行为的能力的文化规范有关。艾滋病毒风险与人际权力动态和可能影响人际关系的父权制意识形态密切相关。此外，移徙到一个新的国家是改变生活的事件，可以改变家庭结构，带来文化价值和信仰的变化，这在性风险方面可能是有害的，也可能是保护性的。虽然有一些研究调查了男性生育妇女的艾滋病毒风险，但很少有研究涉及女性生育妇女的性健康问题。因此，了解在墨西哥出生的女性移徙女工所感知到的性风险和用于保持性健康的策略，将有助于了解哪些个人因素（内在优势）和哪些资源（体力资源、物质资源、财政资源、支助资源、关系资源等）有助于最近移徙者保持性健康。此外，这项研究将为规划针对女性产妇的特定人口和适合文化的干预措施奠定基础。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Farm workers living in the United States (US) carry a burden of HIV infection that is 10 times that of the general population. Migrant farm workers (MFW) who come from Mexico to the U live in rural areas, are marginalized from mainstream society, are commonly undocumented, and often lack access to necessary health and prevention services. Females MFW in particular comprise a unique group that experience high risk of HIV infection. This sexual risk is related to the threat of intimate partner violence, low social support, low HIV knowledge, high-risk partners, and in particular, cultural norms that may influence relationship power and the ability to negotiate for protective sex in the face of infidelty. HIV risk is closely tied to interpersonal power dynamics and patriarchal ideologies that can influence relationships. Moreover, migration to a new country is a life-changing event that can alter family structure and bring about changes in cultural values and beliefs, which could be harmful or protective in relation to sexual risk. Although a number of studies have investigated HIV risk among male MFW, very little research has approached the topic of sexual health for female MFW. Therefore, understanding the perceived sexual risks and strategies used to maintain sexual health by female MFW who were born in Mexico will assist in understanding what personal factors (intrinsic strengths) and which resources (physical resources, material resources, financial resources, supportive resources, relational resources, etc.) help recent migrants to maintain sexual health. Moreover, this research will form a foundation for planning population-specific and culture-appropriate interventions for female MFW. The specific aims of this study are: 1) To describe the perceptions and experiences of female MFW of Mexican descent in relation to their health risks: 2) To Identify the beliefs/values about culture, migration, gender roles, and power that are related to sexual health risks for female MFW of Mexican Descent: 3) To describe what resources and self-protective factors female MFW of Mexican descent use to mitigate these perceived risks: and 4) To generate a theoretical framework that is grounded in the voices and narratives of female MFW of Mexican descent regarding their experiences and perspectives on sexual health, power relations, and self-protective strategies. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Migrant farm-workers in the United States carry a burden of HIV infection that is 10 times that of the general population, and farm-worker women are particularly at risk for HIV in relation to interpersonal power dynamics, gendered social norms, and cultural beliefs about sexual health and nursing knowledge regarding appropriate interventions to increase the health and well being of this group. This qualitative study will focs on examining perceptions of risk and self-protective strategies and resources used by farm-workers women to maintain sexual health.