The Social and Environmental Context of Cross-Border Drug Use in Mexico: Findings from a Mixed Methods Study of Young Injection Drug Users Living in San Diego, CA

• Published in: Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse Vol. 11; no. 4; pp. 362 - 378
• Main Authors: Wagner, Karla D., Moynihan, Matthew J., Strathdee, Steffanie A., Cuevas-Mota, Jazmine, Clark, Maureen, Zúñiga, María Luisa, Volkmann, Tyson A., Teshale, Eyasu, Garfein, Richard S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis Group 01-10-2012; Taylor & Francis LLC
• Subjects: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; Adult; Baja California (state), Mexico; Border areas; Borders; Boundaries; California; cross border drug use; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data Collection; Drug Abuse; Drug Injection; Drug use; Ethnic groups; Female; Hepatitis; hepatitis C virus; HIV; HIV Infections - transmission; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; injection drug use; Internationality; Intervention; Male; Mexico; mixed methods; Public Policy; Risk; San Diego, California; Sociocultural Factors; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - epidemiology; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - ethnology; Travel; Travel - statistics & numerical data; U.S.-Mexico border; Young Adult; Mexico; California; United States > US; San Diego California; ISE, Mexico; Mexico, Baja California, Tijuana; USA, California, San Diego
• ISSN: 1533-2640; 1533-2659
• DOI: 10.1080/15332640.2012.735182

The authors report the results of qualitative (n = 19) and quantitative (n = 545) interviews with young injection drug users (IDUs) in San Diego, California about their experiences using drugs in Tijuana, Mexico, and associated risks for HIV infection. Young IDUs who have ever traveled to Mexico (n = 365) used a variety of injection (54%) and noninjection (30%) drugs there and appear to be heavier users than those who have never traveled to Mexico. Sociocultural themes influencing drug use in Mexico included interactions among the purpose of travel, drug preference, and route of administration; familiarity with the border region; evolving relationships with the United States and Mexican drug markets; and the experience of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Interventions for IDUs in border regions need to be sensitive to the ethnicity, familiarity with the border region, and life history of participants, as well as differences in national policies that could influence drug use and risk for HIV on both sides of the border.