Top

Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health

Published in:

Open Access 01-02-2012 | Original Paper

Fear of Deportation May Limit Legal Immigrants’ Access to HIV/AIDS-Related Care: A Survey of Swedish Language School Students in Northern Sweden

Authors: Faustine Kyungu Nkulu Kalengayi, Anna-Karin Hurtig, Clas Ahlm, Ingela Krantz

Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health | Issue 1/2012

Abstract

The increasing rates of HIV infection that are currently being reported in high-income countries can be partly explained by migration from countries with generalized epidemics. Yet, early diagnosis of HIV/AIDS in immigrants remains a challenge. This study investigated factors that might be limiting immigrants’ access to HIV/AIDS care. Data from 268 legal immigrant students of two Swedish language schools in Northern Sweden were analyzed using logistic regression. Thirty-seven percent reported reluctance to seek medical attention if they had HIV/AIDS. Fear of deportation emerged as the most important determinant of reluctance to seek care after adjusting for socio-demographic factors, knowledge level, stigmatizing attitudes and fear of disclosure. Targeted interventions should consider the heterogeneity of migrant communities and the complex interplay of various factors which may impede access to HIV-related services. The myth about deportation because of HIV/AIDS should be countered.

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control & WHO Regional Office for Europe. HIV/AIDS Surveillance in Europe 2007. Stockholm, Sweden. Surveillance Report; 2008. Available at: http://www.ecdc.eu.

UNAIDS/WHO: HIV Data. AIDS epidemic update 2009. Geneva, Switzerland. Available at: http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowlegdeCentre/HIVData/EpiUpdate/EpiUpdateArchive/2009/default.asp.

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Migrant health—background note to the ‘ECDC Report on migration and infectious diseases in the EU’. Stockholm, Sweden. ECDC technical report; 2009. Available at: http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications/Publications/0907_TER_Migrant_health_Background_note.pdf.

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Migrant health—epidemiology of HIV and AIDS in migrant communities and ethnic minorities in EU/EEA countries. Stockholm, Sweden. ECDC technical report; 2009. Available at: http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications/Publications/0907_TER_Migrant_health_HIV_Epidemiology_review.pdf.

The Swedish Institute for infectious Disease Control. Statistik för hivinfektion 2009. Stockholm, Sweden. Available at: http://www.smittskyddsinstitutet.se/statistik/hivinfektion/?t=com&p=15137#statistics-nav.

Kamga Wambo GO, Bätzing-Feigenbaum J, Hamouda O. HIV seroconversion following immigration in Germany – Analysis of reported HIV/AIDS cases among immigrants from Sub-Saharan Africa in Germany 2001–2008. Stockholm: European Scientific Conference on Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology; 2009. Available at: http://escaide2009.ecdc.europa.eu/download.cfm-SAVE=2528&LG=1.pdf.

Wouters OJ, Arneborn M, Velicko I. An analysis of the Swedish HIV epidemic and the efficacy of contact tracing. Stockholm: European Scientific Conference on Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology; 2009.

Amon JJ, Todrys KW. Fear of foreigners: HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay, and residence. J Int AIDS Soc. 2008; 11. doi:10.1186/1758-2652-11-8.

Government Offices of Sweden. UNGASS: Country progress report 2010. Sweden. Stockholm, Sweden. Available at: http://www.hivportalen.se/publikationer/Sidor/ungasscountryprogreereport2010sweden.aspx.

10.

Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. Smittspårning vid sexuellt överförbara infektioner., Västerås, Sweden. Socialstyrelsen; 2007.

11.

Anderson J. Coming and going: some aspects of care for migrants with HIV in the UK. J Infect. 2008;57:11–15. doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2008.05.002.PubMedCrossRef

12.

Bhattacharya G. Health care seeking for HIV/AIDS among South Asians in the United States. Health Soc Work. 2004;29:106–15.PubMed

13.

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Migrant health—access to HIV prevention, treatment and care for migrant populations in EU/EEA countries. Stockholm, Sweden. ECDC technical report; 2009.

14.

Levy V et al. Factors in the delayed HIV presentation of immigrants in Nothern California: implications for voluntary counselling and testing programs. J Immigr Health. 2006. doi:10.1007/s10903-006-9015-9.

15.

Solskone V, Shtarkshall RA. Migration and HIV prevention programmes: linking structural factors, culture, and individual behaviour—an Israeli experience. Soc Sci Med. 2002;55:1297–307.CrossRef

16.

Körner H. HIV and migration: two major uncertainties for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. National Centre in Social Research: social research issues paper 2005; 72. Available at: http://www.nchsr.unsw.edu.au/media/File/SRIP04.pdf.

17.

Beyene Y. Potential HIV risk behaviors among Ethiopians and Eritreans in the diaspora: a bird’s-eye view. Northeast Afr J. 2000; 7:119–142. Available at: http://www.muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/juornals/northeast_african_studies/v007/7.2/beyene.pdf DOI: 10.1353/nas.2004.0014.

18.

Erwin J et al. Pathways to HIV testing and care by black African and white patients in London. Sex Transm Inf. 78:37–39. Available at: http://www.sti.bmj.com/content/78/1/37.full.html. doi:10.1136/sti.78.1.37.

19.

Yang H, et al. HIV-related knowledge, stigma, and willingness to disclose: a mediation analysis. AIDS Care. 2006;18:717–24.PubMedCrossRef

20.

Maman S, Medley A. Gender dimensions of HIV status disclosure to sexual partners: rate, barriers and outcomes. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2003.

21.

Fakoya I, Reynolds R, Caswell G, Shiripinda I. Barriers to HIV testing for migrant black African in Western Europe. HIV Med. 2008;2:23–5.CrossRef

22.

AIDS Community Research Initiative of America & Gay Men Health Crisis (ACRIA & GMHC). Race troubles. Why do African-Americans with HIV fare worse? Achieve 2009.

23.

Statistics Sweden. Befolkningsstatistik 2006. Migration 2005. In-och utvandring och asylsökande. Örebro, Sweden. Statistika Centralbyrån; 2006. Available at: http://www.scb.se/Pages/PublishingCalendarViewInfo_259923.aspx?PublObjId=150.

24.

Swedish Central Ethical Review Board. Förordning (2007:1069) med instruktion för regionala Etikprövningsnämnder. Stockholm, Sweden. Available at: www.epn.se/start/bakgroundbestaemmelser/lagar-och-foerordningar.aspx.

25.

Family Health International. Implementing AIDS prevention and care project: behavioral surveillance surveys. Guidelines for repeated behavioral surveys in populations at risk of HIV. Family Health International; 2000.

26.

Population Council. Horizons AIDSQuest: The HIV/AIDS survey library. Available at: http://www.popcouncil.org/horizons/AIDSQuest/cmnbehvrtheo/index/html.

27.

POLICY Project. Siyam’kela: HIV/AIDS stigma indicators: a tool for measuring the progress of HIV/AIDS stigma mitigation. Pretoria, South Africa: POLICY; 2003. Available at: http://www.policyproject.com/Special/SA_stigma.pdf.

28.

Brouard P, Wills C. A closer look: the internalization of stigma related to HIV. Wasington, DC: United States Agency for International Development (USAID); 2006. Available at: http://www.policyproject.com/pubs/generalreport/Internal_Stigma.pdf.

29.

Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. Migration och Sexuell Hälsa—En litteratur översikt om sexuellt risktagande och sexuellt riskutsatthet i samband med migration. Västra Aros, Sweden: Socialstyrelsen; 2010.

30.

Tompkins M, Smith L, Jones K, Swindells S. HIV education needs among Sudanese immigrants and refugees in the Midwestern United States. AIDS Behav. 2006;10(3):323–91.CrossRef

31.

Parker R, Aggleton P. HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination: a conceptual framework and an agenda for action. New York: Population Council; 2002.

32.

AIDS Community Research Initiative of America (ACRIA). Focus on gender—women and HIV. 2008;17:1–20.

33.

Coker R. Compulsory screening of immigrants for tuberculosis and HIV. Br Med J. 2004;28:298–300.CrossRef

34.

Chen N et al. Predictors of HIV testing among Latinos in Baltimore City. J Immgr Minor Health. 2009. doi:10.1007/s10903-009-9297-9.

35.

Lazarus JV, Mohammed Himedan H, Rosendal Ostergaard L. HIV/AIDS knowledge and condom use among Somali and Sudanese immigrants in Denmark. Scand J Public Health. 2006;34:92–9.PubMedCrossRef

Title: Fear of Deportation May Limit Legal Immigrants’ Access to HIV/AIDS-Related Care: A Survey of Swedish Language School Students in Northern Sweden
Authors: Faustine Kyungu Nkulu Kalengayi
Anna-Karin Hurtig
Clas Ahlm
Ingela Krantz
Publication date: 01-02-2012
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health / Issue 1/2012
Print ISSN: 1557-1912
Electronic ISSN: 1557-1920
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-011-9509-y

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Fear of Deportation May Limit Legal Immigrants’ Access to HIV/AIDS-Related Care: A Survey of Swedish Language School Students in Northern Sweden

Abstract

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2012

Variations in Healthcare Access and Utilization Among Mexican Immigrants: The Role of Documentation Status

HIV Testing Behaviors Among Undocumented Central American Immigrant Women in Houston, Texas

A Systematic Review of HIV/AIDS Survival and Delayed Diagnosis Among Hispanics in the United States

Barriers and Facilitators to Civic Engagement Among Elderly African Immigrants in Oslo

Foreign Born Status and HIV/AIDS: A Comparative Analysis of HIV/AIDS Characteristics Among Foreign and U.S. Born Individuals

HIV Knowledge Among Canadian-Born and Sub-Saharan African-Born Patients Living with HIV