IMMIGRATION AND HIV AMONG MIGRANT WORKERS IN RURAL SOUTHERN FLORIDA

We studied HIV seropositivity among a targeted sample of migrant worke rs who used drugs, primarily crack cocaine, and their sexual partners in rural southern Florida from 1993 to 1995. We enrolled men and women who were born in the United States (n=369) or in other countries (n=1 74). Overall 11.2% of the sample were HIV positive, including 18% of B lacks from the United States, and about 8% of non-Hispanic whites from the United States, Blacks from the Caribbean, and persons from Centra l or South America. No Hispanics from the United States or the Caribbe an, but 3.4% of Hispanics from Mexico, were HIV positive. In logistic regression analyses, race/ethnicity, gender, and age were most highly associated with HIV seropositivity. Immigration status, current drug u se, and current sexual activity were not related to HIV seropositivity . HIV prevention programs must help reduce heterosexual transmission o f HIV associated with drug use both locally and where migrants travel and work.