Culture, Health and Sexuality
Volume 20, Issue 12, 2018, Pages 1333-1346

Gender, migration and perceptions of HIV risk in Mexico (Article)

Woods T.M.* , Altman C.E. , Chávez S. , Gorman B.K.
  • a Department of Sociology, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
  • b Department of Sociology, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
  • c Department of Sociology, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
  • d Department of Sociology, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States

Abstract

This study examines the role that duty plays in men’s and women’s perceptions of HIV-related risk in Mexico, and how gender and migration influence these perceptions. We draw on qualitative data from the 2014 Study of Health and Migration in Mexico (SHMM), which included 24 in-depth interviews with migrant men and non-migrant women living in a medium-sized city in Guanajuato, Mexico. While men report migrating out of responsibility to provide for their families, this sense of duty also had implications for their sexual health behaviours. Duty permeates how residents in this migrant-sending community described their perceptions of HIV risk, with men and women drawing consistently on three aspects of duty: fidelity, gendered sexual expectations, and the burden of HIV prevention. We argue that a strong sense of duty can prompt gender role expansion for migrant men and limit gender role expansion for non-migrant women. © 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Author Keywords

Migration HIV risk Gender Mexico duty

Index Keywords

HIV Infections Human immunodeficiency virus infection human risk assessment middle aged Mexico qualitative research interview Humans Interviews as Topic male female Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice adult migration sex factor Sex Factors Transients and Migrants attitude to health
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85041905044&doi=10.1080%2f13691058.2018.1434238&partnerID=40&md5=5f10a569c1417ebf34bf55314328d8c7
DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2018.1434238
ISSN: 13691058
Original Language: English