Sexual discourse and reported sexual behaviors in a transnational community: Possibilities for HIV risk reduction in migrant communities

Background: Research suggests that immigrants reconstruct sexuality as they adapt to new political, economic, and cultural surroundings. Some evidence documents that immigrants tend to have more sexual partners than non-migrants, largely due to issues of exposure, changes in social settings, and decreased social monitoring, and often this increases risk of HIV infection. This study compared sexual behaviors among migrants and non-migrants among the Garinagu, a matrifocal population in Central America who have a long history of male and female migration to the United States. Methods: Data was collected in Trujillo, Honduras and NYC between July 2007 and May 2008 among the Garinagu, a matrifocal Afro-Amerindian population from Central America through participant observation, semi-structured interviews with women (n = 35), and community leader (n = 10), and a structured questionnaire completed by men and women (n = 159). All participants were between the ages of 18 and 55 years and were or had been sexually active. Results: Although men and women in discussed the sexual freedoms enjoyed by community members in NYC, reported behaviors did not differ substantially between migrants and non-migrant men and women, even when considering only recent migrants, who were said to “go crazy” upon arrival to the U.S. Conclusions: Several factors may influence these findings, including the long history of migration among both men and women, continued social monitoring, and changing gender relations that increase equality in the household. These influences have important implications for the reduction of HIV transmission in migrant communities.