HIV/AIDS-related sexual risk behaviors among rural residents in China: potential role of rural-to-urban migration.
The relationship between rural-to-urban migration and the spread of HIV is well described, although most studies focus on sexual risk behaviors among rural-to-urban migrants at the urban destination areas. Few studies have examined the sexual risk behaviors of migrants who have returned from urban areas to their rural homes ("return migrants") in comparison with those of local rural residents who have never migrated to cities ("nonmigrants"). This study examines the potential association between rural-to-urban migration and sexual risk behaviors by comparing sexual risk behaviors between 553 return migrants and 441 nonmigrants from same rural communities in China. Findings reveal that, after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, return migrants in rural areas had higher levels of sexual risk, including unprotected sex, than nonmigrants. Among return migrants, sexual risk behaviors were associated with age, gender, marital status, and number of different jobs they had previously held in the cities. These findings underscore the importance for HIV/AIDS education and prevention efforts targeting the migrant population in urban destinations as well as the return-migrant population in rural areas.
Li
Xiaoming
X
Prevention Research Center, Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA. xiaoming_li@wayne.edu
Zhang
Liying
L
Stanton
Bonita
B
Fang
Xiaoyi
X
Xiong
Qing
Q
Lin
Danhua
D
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011157:Population Dynamics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*