An overview of migration, sexual health, and sexual risk among immigrants to the US

Immigrants account for 12.1 percent of the total US population, the highest percentage in eight decades. Although the health status of immigrants is now a policy concern, there are profound effects of migration on population health that are largely understudied. Some studies theorize that a ‘healthy migrant effect' or a ‘Salmon Bias' might explain why new immigrants generally exhibit lower disease rates when compared with native-born groups. However, strikingly absent from the immigrant health literature is the exploration of the ways in which migration influences sexual health and risk for HIV/STIs.

This presentation will outline various mechanisms through which migration might influence sexual health, including bi-directional travel, especially from higher- to lower-prevalence areas; unequal sex ratios and long-term separation from partners as a result of selective migration patterns; social isolation, discrimination, poverty, limited access to information and health services due to undocumented legal status; and the re-negotiation of values around gender and sexuality and shifts in gender relations as a result of acculturation. The nature and outcomes of these processes are also shaped by the context in which they occur, including social and economic circumstances of migration; post-migration experiences; race; sexual orientation; language; and country and class of origin.

Information on sexual behavior and sexual risk that is specific to various immigrant groups is needed if effective healthcare interventions are to be implemented and if health promotion policy is to be adequately informed.