Mexico's northern border conflict: collateral damage to health and human rights of vulnerable groups.
Permanent URL:
http://hdl.handle.net/2047/d20002118
Martinez, Gustavo (Author)
Gaines, Tommi (Author)
Nguyen, Lucie (Author)
Lozada, Remedios (Author)
Rangel, Gudelia (Author)
Vera, Alicia (Author)
McCauley, Heather L. (Author)
Sorensen, Andrea (Author)
Strathdee, Steffanie A. (Author)
Methods: Structured interviews and testing for sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) were conducted (October 2008-October 2009). Frequency of individual and environmental factors, including police abuse, HIV risk and protective behaviors were compared between sites using univariate logistic regression.
Results: Of 624 women, almost half reported police syringe confiscation despite syringes being legal and 55.6% reported extortion (last 6 months), with significantly-higher proportions in Cd. Juarez (p
Conclusions: Collateral damage from police practices in the context of Mexico's drug conflict may impact public health in the Northern Border Region. Itinerant officers may facilitate disease spread beyond the Region. The urgency for mounting structural interventions is discussed.
Prostitutes
Intravenous drug abusers
Communicable diseases
Mexico
border conflicts
female sex workers
injection drug users
conflict
structural environment
gender violence
HIV
infectious disease
Legal Studies
Public Health