(MENAFN- EIN Presswire) “AID FOR AIDS has worked hard over the past two years to build trust with this high-risk groups in South America that is a key population in the fight against HIV.” - Jesus Aguais, President and founder of AID FOR LIFE.NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, December 7, 2022 /einpresswire.com / -- aid for aids International (AFA) presented the results of their two-year in-depth study focused on survival sex in Migrant and Refugee Populations at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York City on Monday, December 5, 2022.
The study was led by the researchers fernando Garlin Politis, Ph.D. Candidate at the Université Paris Cité and Sociologist Francisco Ulloa from the University of Chile, who both traveled to New York City for the event. The study results are especially timely in light of the newly arrived South American asylum seekers that have been bussed to New York City from Southern states. There are close to 30,000 newly arrived asylum seekers in the city, and many are at risk of falling into survival sex.
ICAP/Columbia University hosted the event together with AID FOR AIDS. Attendees included representatives from local and state governments of New York City and New York State, the pharmaceutical industry, local and international non-profit organizations, and international governments.
“We thank ICAP/Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health for the opportunity to launch our study results in New York City. The study and this event are first steps towards building awareness about the migrant population and their high level of need, especially when it comes to mental health and legal access to work opportunities,” states Jesus Aguais, president of AID FOR AIDS International.
The event was also joined by Dr. César Núñez, Director of UNAIDS New York office, who provided sobering statistics on the more than 7 million migrants who have fled Venezuela. The researchers found that 20 percent of the migrant population they studied have HIV - an astounding number when compared to the general population.
As part of their work, the researchers built trust and gained access to people performing via webcams. They found that not having access to legal work drives this population to engage in survival sex. Many of them are also sustaining their families in their home country, and they do it to survive. This invisible population doesn't have many options, and violence and exploitation have become normalized. Their mental health needs are high.
The researchers stressed that the migrant population needs to be heard and involved in the process of understanding and documenting the problems and designing solutions. Dr. Núñez from UNAIDS confirmed,“Evidence gathering is important, and the data collected from studies such as this one are useful to inform policy.”
The researchers also highlighted the intersectional nature of this issue; it's not just a public health problem; the needs of this population must be looked at from various angles and approaches. Other issues that are linked to survival sex include sex and gender diversity issues; educational gaps; survival conditions; substance use; pleasure; violence; abuse; discrimination; negative relationship with authorities (such as the police); and precarious labor conditions.
The presentations led to an active discussion with questions from the audience that covered topics such as mental health, stigma, shame, social networks and the migratory/legal status of this population.
“AID FOR AIDS has worked hard over the past two years to build trust with this high-risk group in South America that is a key population in the fight against HIV. We are currently raising funds so we can continue this work in New York City and build programs here that we have already tested with the migrant populations in Colombia and Peru,” stated Jesus Aguais.
AID FOR AIDS study, Survival Sex in the Venezuelan Migrant and Refugee Population in Colombia, is available for download in Spanish, with a summary in English. A full English translation is forthcoming.
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About AID FOR AIDS International (AFA):
AID FOR AIDS International (AFA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to empowering communities at risk of HIV and the population at large by developing their abilities and capacities for comprehensive prevention through access to treatment, advocacy, education, and training to improve their quality of life and reduce stigma and discrimination.
Alicia Molina
Aid for Life
+1 480-678-0783
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