A total of 45 African born women participated in this study. Their
mean age was 42.3 years (SD 9.2). Nineteen countries of origin were represented. More than 20% were undocumented. On average, participants had been living with HIV for 12.1 years (SD 6.3).
Most (62%) were first diagnosed with HIV post-immigration. One-third (33%) were in serodiscordant relationships; 80% had disclosed their status to their partners. All participants had a regular source of HIV care....
All participants who were diagnosed with HIV in their home countries immigrated to the US to improve their access to care and antiretroviral therapy. Many also faced HIV related stigma pre-immigration which led to rejection from family, censure from community members and loss of employment opportunities...
Participants who were diagnosed with HIV pre-immigration believed that there would be less HIV-related stigma in the US than in their native countries. Many described persistent stigma both within and outside of African immigrant communities.
The 54 y.o. participant described above has not disclosed her HIV status to anyone except health care providers post immigration. T
he following participant has limited her social existence to church and has not disclosed her status to anyone (except for health care providers)...
Persistent stigma since arrival in the US also led to
fear of HIV status disclosure for many. Some described negative experiences following disclosure to partners and loss of intimate relationships. For several women,
disclosure to intimate partners who were reportedly seronegative led to housing insecurity...
Several participants described entering into relationships for financial support or to obtain legal immigration status. One participant described engaging in sexual activity with a male partner because she desperately needed money. Following the sexual encounter, she was not compensated, and she described feeling depressed and remorseful...
For most participants, IPV began post disclosure of HIV status within serodiscordant relationships. Undocumented participants felt that there were limited resources available to them to address IPV. Other participants remained in abusive relationships because they feared having to disclose their status to a new partner.
WOOOOOOOOOW.
Somebody assumed the government was testing and denying ppl during the immigration process. Apparently not. 38% of the study's participants were diagnosed at home.
Because our numbers are aggregated. If the CDC is telling us "black women" and you, say, a social worker in a city that's not a hub for black immigrants, it probably wouldn't even occur to you to question it.
eta: NY'ers many be interested in this:
https://www.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/dires/hiv-aids-in-foreign-born.pdf