International Journal of STD and AIDS
Volume 7, Issue 7, 1996, Pages 532-535

Potential impact of restricting STD/HIV care for immigrants in Los Angeles County (Article)

Asch S.* , Rulnick S. , Todoroff C. , Richwald G.
  • a USC Div. of Gen. Internal Medicine, Pac. Ctr. for Hlth. Plcy. and Ethics, United States, VA Wadsworth Medical Center, Mail Code 111G, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90073, United States
  • b LA County STD Program, Pac. Ctr. for Hlth. Plcy. and Ethics, United States
  • c LA County STD Program, Pac. Ctr. for Hlth. Plcy. and Ethics, United States
  • d LA County STD Program, Pac. Ctr. for Hlth. Plcy. and Ethics, United States

Abstract

Legislative restrictions in immigrants access to health care and local governmental funding shortfalls in the US and Western Europe have raised fears that public clinic patients might delay care for communicable diseases. To help quantify the potential impact of both policies on public clinics providing sexually transmitted disease (STD) services, we surveyed 234 patients from five LA clinics regarding their alternative sources of health care. Of the 215 providing complete information (response rate = 91%), 52 (24%) reported they had no legal rights to reside in the US. Compared to the legal resident control group, illegal imigrants were more likely to indicate that they had no alternative access to medical care (27% vs 44%; P = 0.03). We conclude that for a substantial proportion of patients, particularly illegal immigrants, the STD clinics are indeed essential. Restricting access to these clinics may have unpredictable public health consequences.

Author Keywords

health service accessibility Legislation Delivery of health care Sexually transmitted disease

Index Keywords

immigrant HIV Infections law Human immunodeficiency virus infection cost human health service priority journal sexually transmitted disease Sexually Transmitted Diseases Humans male female Article major clinical study health education Emigration and Immigration Delivery of Health Care Los Angeles acquired immune deficiency syndrome public health
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0030462167&doi=10.1258%2f0956462961918482&partnerID=40&md5=996c2f75099c6bb9d1bd8e3c0ffe8375
DOI: 10.1258/0956462961918482
ISSN: 09564624
Cited by: 7
Original Language: English