Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013;2(1):31.
doi: 10.5195/cajgh.2013.31.

Socio-Structural Barriers, Protective Factors, and HIV Risk Among Central-Asian Female Migrants in Moscow

Christopher Zabrocki  1 , Stevan Weine  1 , Stephanie Chen  1 , Ivana Brajkovic  1 , Mahbat Bahromov  2 , Sana Loue  3 , Jonbek Jonbekov  4 , Farzona Shoakova  4
Affiliations

Socio-Structural Barriers, Protective Factors, and HIV Risk Among Central-Asian Female Migrants in Moscow

Christopher Zabrocki et al. Cent Asian J Glob Health. 2013.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to build formative knowledge on socio-structural barriers, protective factors, and HIV sexual risk amongst Central-Asian female migrants in Moscow.

Methods: Data collection included ethnographic interviews in Moscow with a purposive sample of 30 unmarried female migrants, 15 from Kyrgyzstan and 15 from Tajikistan.

Results: Study participants reported difficulties with acquiring documents for legal status, financial insecurity, discrimination, sexual harassment, and lack of support. Based on analysis of the cases, one pathway linked lack of legal documentation and instrumental support with elevated sexual risk. Another pathways linked traditional cultural attitudes with both no and moderate sexual risk.

Conclusion: Future HIV prevention efforts with Central Asian female migrants in Moscow should be multilevel and include: increasing HIV and prevention knowledge and skills, promoting condom use with regular partners, identifying and supporting cultural attitudes that protect against HIV sexual risk behaviors, facilitating legal status, building community support, and increasing economic options.

Keywords: Central Asia; HIV/AIDS; Risk Perception; Women’s Health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hypothesized Pathways Involving Socio-Structural Barriers and Protective Factors
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Oishi N. Women in motion: Globalization, state policies, and labor migration in Asia. 1st ed. Stanford University Press; 2005.
    1. UNIFEM. Estimate of needs and necessities of female labor migrants: Central Asia and Russia. New York: UNIFEM; 2005.
    1. Karimov A, Maksudov M. Economic crisis forcing Central Asian migrants to leave Russia. 2010. Available from: http://centralasiaonline.com/en_GB/articles/caii/features/main/2010/02/0....
    1. Kramer MA, Van Veen MG, De Coul E, Geskus RB, Coutinho RA, Van De Laar MJ, Prins M. Migrants travelling to their country of origin: A bridge population for HIV transmission? Sex Transm Infect. 2008;84:554–555. - PubMed
    1. Marmot M, Friel S, Bell R, Houweling TA, Taylor S. Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Lancet. 2008;372:1661–1669. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources