Contexts of risk and networks of protection: NYC West Indian immigrants' perceptions of migration and vulnerability to sexually transmitted diseases.

To generate insights into how migration shapes sexual risk and protection, we interviewed 36 female and 20 male West Indian immigrants attending a public sexually transmitted disease clinic in Brooklyn, New York, between 2004 and 2005. Migration theory suggests that shifts in sexual partnership patterns, bi-directional travel and changes in sexual norms may alter risk. We found evidence of sexual mixing across ethnic groups: a large proportion of participants' partners were not born in the West Indies, despite what is expected among first generation immigrants. Recent travel 'home', another potential source of risk, was uncommon. In open-ended interviews, two themes around sexual and social networks emerged. First, immigrants believed that access to wider, more anonymous sexual networks in New York City (NYC) and the weakening of social controls that limit multiple partnerships (especially for women) promoted greater risk. Second, immigrants experienced greater opportunities for protection in NYC, both through exposure to safer sex messages and availability of condoms. Reported changes in their own condom use, however, were not attributed to migration. West Indian immigrants' risk in NYC may be driven by access to wider sexual networks but failure to alter reliance on 'networks of knowledge' for protection.

HIV and sexually transmitted infection risk behaviors and beliefs among Black West Indian immigrants and US-born Blacks.

OBJECTIVES: We compared Black West Indian immigrants' and US-born Blacks' sexual and drug-use risk behaviors and their beliefs related to using condoms and informing partners of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) to identify possible differences in risk. METHODS: We drew data from the baseline assessment of a clinic-based intervention designed to increase partner STI notification. RESULTS: Black West Indian men were less likely than were US-born Black men to report nonregular partners. There were no differences in condom use. US-born Black women were more likely than were Black West Indian women to be extremely confident that they could convince their regular partners to use condoms (odds ratio [OR] = 2.40; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.21, 4.76), whereas there were no differences between Black West Indian and US-born Black men on this measure (interaction P = .06). US-born Black women were more likely than were Black West Indian women to be extremely confident in their ability to discuss STI screening with their regular partners (OR = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.03, 3.47). CONCLUSIONS: Black West Indian women's lower levels of confidence that they can discuss STI screening with their regular partners and convince these partners to use condoms may increase their infection risk. Gender-sensitive interventions are warranted for Black West Indian immigrants, especially women.