HIV Testing and Mistaken Beliefs about Immigration Laws

Evidence suggests that migrants may underutilize USA health care because of misconceptions about immigration-related consequences of health care use. This study aimed to explore whether common misconceptions about the immigration consequences of seeking health care, receiving an HIV test, and being diagnosed with HIV were associated with participant self-report of never having received an HIV test. The study sample comprised 297 adult, sexually active, documented and undocumented Spanish-speaking Latino migrants. Participants completed a cross-sectional survey via ACASI. In multiple logistic regression analyses controlling for sociodemographic variables and HIV stigma, misconceptions about laws emerged as a strong predictor of never having received an HIV test (p < .001). Associations between participants' endorsement of misconceptions and their HIV testing history suggest that incorrect perceptions of laws do deter some subgroups of USA Latino migrants from HIV testing. Identifying misconceptions about negative immigration consequences of engaging in important health behaviors should be a community health research priority.