Needs, Risks, and Context in Sexual Health Among Temporary Foreign Migrant Farmworkers in Canada: A Pilot Study with Mexican and Caribbean Workers

Abstract

Every year Canada hosts approximately 40,000 temporary foreign migrant farmworkers (MFWs). They are predominantly Mexican and Caribbean married men or single mothers who leave their families for months at a time over a span of many years. This pilot study investigated their knowledge about HIV/AIDS, attitudes towards condoms and their use, and perceived barriers to accessing sexual health services. A survey (n = 103) and four focus groups (n = 21) were conducted in Ontario's Niagara Region. The results suggest that MFWs commonly face vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS, STIs and other sexual health issues due to personal, social–cultural, environmental and structural factors. The findings highlight the need for increasing culturally and gender sensitive sexual health education and harm reduction outreach and providing information about local health care systems and resources for MFWs. The study also calls for further community-based research and actions to reduce MFWs' perceived access barriers to health care services.

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