IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v72y2011i7p1185-1192.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

"Over here, it's just drugs, women and all the madness": The HIV risk environment of clients of female sex workers in Tijuana, Mexico

Author

Listed:
  • Goldenberg, Shira M.
  • Strathdee, Steffanie A.
  • Gallardo, Manuel
  • Rhodes, Tim
  • Wagner, Karla D.
  • Patterson, Thomas L.

Abstract

HIV vulnerability depends upon social context. Based on broader debates in social epidemiology, political economy, and sociology of health, Rhodes' (2002) "risk environment" framework provides one heuristic for understanding how contextual features influence HIV risk, through different types of environmental factors (social, economic, policy, and physical) which interact at different levels of influence (micro, macro). Few data are available on the "risk environment" of male clients of female sex workers (FSWs); such men represent a potential "bridge" for transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections from high- to low-prevalence populations. Using in-depth interviews (n = 30), we describe the HIV risk environment of male clients in Tijuana, Mexico, where disproportionately high HIV prevalence has been reported among FSWs and their clients. A number of environmental themes influence risky sex with FSWs and the interplay between individual agency and structural forces: social isolation and the search for intimacy; meanings and identities ascribed to Tijuana's Zona Roja (red light district) as a risky place; social relationships in the Zona Roja; and economic roles. Our findings suggest that clients' behaviors are deeply embedded in the local context. Using the HIV "risk environment" as our analytic lens, we illustrate how clients' HIV risks are shaped by physical, social, economic, and political factors. The linkages between these and the interplay between structural- and individual-level experiences support theories that view structure as both enabling as well as constraining. We discuss how the "embeddedness" of clients' experiences warrants the use of environmental interventions that address the circumstances contributing to HIV risk at multiple levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Goldenberg, Shira M. & Strathdee, Steffanie A. & Gallardo, Manuel & Rhodes, Tim & Wagner, Karla D. & Patterson, Thomas L., 2011. ""Over here, it's just drugs, women and all the madness": The HIV risk environment of clients of female sex workers in Tijuana, Mexico," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(7), pages 1185-1192, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:72:y:2011:i:7:p:1185-1192
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277-9536(11)00100-6
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Resnicow, K. & Page, S.E., 2008. "Embracing chaos and complexity: A quantum change for public health," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(8), pages 1382-1389.
    2. Shannon, Kate & Kerr, Thomas & Allinott, Shari & Chettiar, Jill & Shoveller, Jean & Tyndall, Mark W., 2008. "Social and structural violence and power relations in mitigating HIV risk of drug-using women in survival sex work," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(4), pages 911-921, February.
    3. Scambler, Graham & Paoli, Frederique, 2008. "Health work, female sex workers and HIV/AIDS: Global and local dimensions of stigma and deviance as barriers to effective interventions," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(8), pages 1848-1862, April.
    4. Popay, Jennie & Thomas, Carol & Williams, Gareth & Bennett, Sharon & Gatrell, Anthony & Bostock, Lisa, 2003. "A proper place to live: health inequalities, agency and the normative dimensions of space," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 57(1), pages 55-69, July.
    5. Rhodes, Tim & Singer, Merrill & Bourgois, Philippe & Friedman, Samuel R. & Strathdee, Steffanie A., 2005. "The social structural production of HIV risk among injecting drug users," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(5), pages 1026-1044, September.
    6. Desmond, Nicola & Allen, Caroline F. & Clift, Simon & Justine, Butolwa & Mzugu, Joseph & Plummer, Mary L. & Watson-Jones, Deborah & Ross, David A., 2005. "A typology of groups at risk of HIV/STI in a gold mining town in north-western Tanzania," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 60(8), pages 1739-1749, April.
    7. Frohlich, K.L. & Potvin, L., 2008. "Transcending the known in public health practice: The inequality paradox: The population approach and vulnerable populations," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(2), pages 216-221.
    8. Gibney, Laura & Saquib, Nazmus & Metzger, Jesse, 2003. "Behavioral risk factors for STD/HIV transmission in Bangladesh's trucking industry," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 56(7), pages 1411-1424, April.
    9. Kerrigan, D. & Moreno, L. & Rosario, S. & Gomez, B. & Jerez, H. & Barrington, C. & Weiss, E. & Sweat, M., 2006. "Environmental-structural interventions to reduce HIV/STI risk among female sex workers in the Dominican Republic," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 96(1), pages 120-125.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. DiStefano, Anthony S. & Hui, Brian & Barrera-Ng, Angelica & Quitugua, Lourdes F. & Peters, Ruth & Dimaculangan, Jeany & Vunileva, Isileli & Tui'one, Vanessa & Takahashi, Lois M. & Tanjasiri, Sora Park, 2012. "Contextualization of HIV and HPV risk and prevention among Pacific Islander young adults in Southern California," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(4), pages 699-708.
    2. Calderón-Villarreal, Alhelí & Terry, Brendan & Friedman, Joseph & González-Olachea, Sara Alejandra & Chavez, Alfonso & Díaz López, Margarita & Pacheco Bufanda, Lilia & Martinez, Carlos & Medina Ponce,, 2022. "Deported, homeless, and into the canal: Environmental structural violence in the binational Tijuana River," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).
    3. Shira M Goldenberg & Andrea Krüsi & Emma Zhang & Jill Chettiar & Kate Shannon, 2017. "Structural Determinants of Health among Im/Migrants in the Indoor Sex Industry: Experiences of Workers and Managers/Owners in Metropolitan Vancouver," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(1), pages 1-18, January.
    4. Christina J. Diaz & Liwen Zeng & Ana P. Martinez-Donate, 2018. "Investigating Health Selection Within Mexico and Across the US Border," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 37(2), pages 181-204, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shahmanesh, Maryam & Wayal, Sonali & Andrew, Gracy & Patel, Vikram & Cowan, Frances M. & Hart, Graham, 2009. "HIV prevention while the bulldozers roll: Exploring the effect of the demolition of Goa's red-light area," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(4), pages 604-612, August.
    2. Lazarus, L. & Chettiar, J. & Deering, K. & Nabess, R. & Shannon, K., 2011. "Risky health environments: Women sex workers’ struggles to find safe, secure and non-exploitative housing in Canada’s poorest postal code," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(11), pages 1600-1607.
    3. Anna Vassall & Sudhashree Chandrashekar & Michael Pickles & Tara S Beattie & Govindraj Shetty & Parinita Bhattacharjee & Marie-Claude Boily & Peter Vickerman & Janet Bradley & Michel Alary & Stephen M, 2014. "Community Mobilisation and Empowerment Interventions as Part of HIV Prevention for Female Sex Workers in Southern India: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(10), pages 1-10, October.
    4. Collins, Alexandra B. & Boyd, Jade & Cooper, Hannah L.F. & McNeil, Ryan, 2019. "The intersectional risk environment of people who use drugs," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 234(C), pages 1-1.
    5. McNeil, Ryan & Small, Will & Wood, Evan & Kerr, Thomas, 2014. "Hospitals as a ‘risk environment’: An ethno-epidemiological study of voluntary and involuntary discharge from hospital against medical advice among people who inject drugs," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 59-66.
    6. Osborne, Jacob & Paget, John & Giles-Vernick, Tamara & Kutalek, Ruth & Napier, David & Baliatsas, Christos & Dückers, Michel, 2021. "Community engagement and vulnerability in infectious diseases: A systematic review and qualitative analysis of the literature," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 284(C).
    7. Lianne A Urada & Donald E Morisky & Nymia Pimentel-Simbulan & Jay G Silverman & Steffanie A Strathdee, 2012. "Condom Negotiations among Female Sex Workers in the Philippines: Environmental Influences," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(3), pages 1-9, March.
    8. Richardson, Lindsey & Wood, Evan & Kerr, Thomas, 2013. "The impact of social, structural and physical environmental factors on transitions into employment among people who inject drugs," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 126-133.
    9. Abel, Thomas & Frohlich, Katherine L., 2012. "Capitals and capabilities: Linking structure and agency to reduce health inequalities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(2), pages 236-244.
    10. Fairbairn, Nadia & Small, Will & Shannon, Kate & Wood, Evan & Kerr, Thomas, 2008. "Seeking refuge from violence in street-based drug scenes: Women's experiences in North America's first supervised injection facility," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(5), pages 817-823, September.
    11. Erin E Conners & Brooke S West & Alexis M Roth & Kristen G Meckel-Parker & Mei-Po Kwan & Carlos Magis-Rodriguez & Hugo Staines-Orozco & John D Clapp & Kimberly C Brouwer, 2016. "Quantitative, Qualitative and Geospatial Methods to Characterize HIV Risk Environments," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(5), pages 1-14, May.
    12. Newton-Levinson, Anna & Higdon, Megan & Sales, Jessica & Gaydos, Laurie & Rochat, Roger, 2020. "Context matters: Using mixed methods timelines to provide an accessible and integrated visual for complex program evaluation data," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    13. Jocelyn Elmes & Morten Skovdal & Kundai Nhongo & Helen Ward & Catherine Campbell & Timothy B Hallett & Constance Nyamukapa & Peter J White & Simon Gregson, 2017. "A reconfiguration of the sex trade: How social and structural changes in eastern Zimbabwe left women involved in sex work and transactional sex more vulnerable," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(2), pages 1-22, February.
    14. Fast, Danya & Small, Will & Wood, Evan & Kerr, Thomas, 2009. "Coming 'down here': Young people's reflections on becoming entrenched in a local drug scene," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(8), pages 1204-1210, October.
    15. Kazi Nazrul Fattah & Peter Walters, 2020. "“A Good Place for the Poor!” Counternarratives to Territorial Stigmatisation from Two Informal Settlements in Dhaka," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 55-65.
    16. Balsam Ahmad & Fouad M. Fouad & Shahaduz Zaman & Peter Phillimore, 2019. "Women’s health and well-being in low-income formal and informal neighbourhoods on the eve of the armed conflict in Aleppo," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 64(1), pages 75-82, January.
    17. Biradavolu, Monica Rao & Burris, Scott & George, Annie & Jena, Asima & Blankenship, Kim M., 2009. "Can sex workers regulate police? Learning from an HIV prevention project for sex workers in southern India," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(8), pages 1541-1547, April.
    18. Krebs, Emanuel & Wang, Linwei & Olding, Michelle & DeBeck, Kora & Hayashi, Kanna & Milloy, M.-J. & Wood, Evan & Nosyk, Bohdan & Richardson, Lindsey, 2016. "Increased drug use and the timing of social assistance receipt among people who use illicit drugs," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 94-102.
    19. Hannah L F Cooper & Sabriya Linton & Mary E Kelley & Zev Ross & Mary E Wolfe & Yen-Tyng Chen & Maria Zlotorzynska & Josalin Hunter-Jones & Samuel R Friedman & Don C Des Jarlais & Barbara Tempalski & E, 2016. "Risk Environments, Race/Ethnicity, and HIV Status in a Large Sample of People Who Inject Drugs in the United States," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(3), pages 1-21, March.
    20. Ben Cave & Ryngan Pyper & Birgitte Fischer-Bonde & Sarah Humboldt-Dachroeden & Piedad Martin-Olmedo, 2021. "Lessons from an International Initiative to Set and Share Good Practice on Human Health in Environmental Impact Assessment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-23, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:72:y:2011:i:7:p:1185-1192. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.