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Behavioural Risks for HIV Infection Among Quebec Residents of Haitian Origin

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Abstract

Quebecers of Haitian origin (QHO) have the highest HIV prevalence of all immigrant groups in the province. We conducted a study among QHO to document the behavioural risk factors for HIV transmission. Male respondents were significantly more likely than female respondents to have at leastone casual heterosexual partner in the past 12 months (39.7 vs. 18.8%, p < 0.001). Males were more likely to have used a condom at last sexual intercourse with a casual partner (78.9 vs. 53.7%; p = 0.002). However, among men who never, casually, or rarely used condoms with their regular female partner, 27.3% did not use a condom at last sexual intercourse with a casual partner. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, having at least one casual heterosexual partner in the past 12 months was associated with being younger than 29 years, being male, being single, and being a second-generation QHO. This study allows us to identify subgroups whose behaviours can result ingreater vulnerability to HIV infection and other STIs.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Public Health Agency of Canada for their financial support. This study was a collaborative project with the Groupe d’action pour la prévention de la transmission du VIH et l’éradication du sida (GAP-VIES) and the authors are particularly grateful for their support and assistance. We are indebted to the following members of the Advisory Committee for facilitating our contact with the Haitian community in Quebec: Ms. Marie-Suzie Wèche (Centre haïtien d’action familiale), Ms. Edith Duterville (Institut thoracique de Montréal), and Mr. Keder Hyppolite (Conseil national des citoyens et citoyennes d’origine haïtienne). We thank our research assistant Jenny-Ingrid Lebounga Vouma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Public Health Department, Agence de la Santé et des Services Sociaux de Montréal, 1301 rue Sherbrooke Est, Montreal, QC, H2L1M3, Canada

    Alix Adrien, Joseph Cox, Pascale Leclerc, Jean-François Boivin, Gabriel Joseph & Claude Tremblay

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Alix Adrien, Joseph Cox & Jean-François Boivin

  3. Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventiv, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Pascale Leclerc

  4. Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Chris Archibald & David Boulos

  5. Groupe d’Action pour la Prévention de la Transmission du VIH et L’éradication du Sida, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Joseph Jean-Gilles

Authors
  1. Alix Adrien
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  2. Joseph Cox
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  3. Pascale Leclerc
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  4. Jean-François Boivin
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  5. Chris Archibald
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  6. David Boulos
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  7. Joseph Jean-Gilles
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  8. Gabriel Joseph
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  9. Claude Tremblay
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Correspondence to Alix Adrien.

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Adrien, A., Cox, J., Leclerc, P. et al. Behavioural Risks for HIV Infection Among Quebec Residents of Haitian Origin. J Immigrant Minority Health 12, 894–899 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-010-9350-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-010-9350-8

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