Examination of multilevel domains of minority stress: Implications for drug use and mental and physical health among Latina women who have sex with women and men

Abstract

There has recently been growing attention and concern in the U.S. on the detrimental drug use and related health conditions impacting diverse sexual minority populations. While some evidence indicates that bisexual women are at increased risk of substance use, little attention has been given to disadvantaged and racial/ethnic minority bisexual women, who are particularly vulnerable to a complexity of stressors and risk. Using data from a 15-year longitudinal study in San Antonio, Texas, the current study examines drug use, incarceration histories, stressful life events, and infections among 206 young adult Mexican-American women who report engaging in sex with both men and women (WSWM) (n = 61) and those indicating having exclusively male sex partners (WSM) (n = 145). A bivariate analysis finds that WSWM experienced more frequent (p = 0.001) and longer total time incarcerated (p = 0.001), as well as exposure to more stressful life events (p = 0.003). WSWM also have higher rates of past 30 day injection drug use (p = 0.026) and related Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection (p = 0.001), as well as greater symptomatology associated with depression (p = 0.014), PTSD (p = 0.005), and suicidal ideation (p = 0.036). Findings indicate a significantly elevated risk profile for socioeconomically marginalized WSWM. This knowledge is timely and central to policy discourse to develop interventions and health campaigns aimed at reducing and/or preventing further health disparities among this highly susceptible population of minority women.

Recent advances in combatting bacterial infections via well-designed metallacycles/metallacages

“…(1) Deep tissue infections are still a major problem currently. 85 Photodynamic inactivation can treat bacterial infections on the surface, and chemistry inactivation may introduce strong systemic toxicity. Fortunately, SDT, with no thermal effects, fewer side effects, effectiveness in deep tissue, and non-invasive treatment, has been widely used in antibacterial fields.…”

Syndemic Profiles for HIV, Hepatitis C, and Sextually Transmitted Infections Among Mexican American Women Formerly Affiliated with Youth Street Gangs

“…The San Antonio Latina Trajectory Outcomes (SALTO) study is a longitudinal community-based study examining the long-term health outcomes of drug use and intimate partner violence among a cohort of Mexican American women that were originally recruited and interviewed as adolescents between 1999 and 2001 [18,22,[61][62][63][64][65][66]. Eligibility criteria for Proyecto SALTO and the original study included being a Mexican American female, being aged 14-18 at the time of the original study, and being associated with one of 27 male street gangs from the catchment area [67,68].…”

Piloting a Flexible Solicited Diary Study With Marginalized Latina Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The research has shown that this type of stress is cumulative, intersectional, specific to SGM’s stigmatized status, and related to other stressors such as violence, harassment, and sexual assault. Amid this progress lies a paucity of research on health disparities among SGM Latinas, particularly Latina women who have Sex with Women and Men (WSWM) ( Cepeda et al, 2020 ). Significantly less is known about Latina WSWM who are positioned at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities, which relegates them to a hidden social status as “marginal members within marginalized groups” ( Purdie-Vaughns & Eibach, 2008 , p. 5).…”

“…The sample of our exploratory study is derived from a 20-year longitudinal cohort of Mexican American women ( Cepeda & Valdez, 2010 ; Cepeda et al, 2020 ) who reported having had sex with both women and men. This cohort represents a subset of participants from the San Antonio Latina Trajectory Outcomes Study (Proyecto SALTO).…”

“…To be eligible for Proyecto SALTO, participants had to be female, of Mexican descent, aged 14–18 (during 1999–2001), and associated with one of 27 male street gangs from the catchment area ( Cepeda & Valdez, 2010 ). The quantitative analysis of a follow-up study ( Cepeda et al, 2020 ) revealed that 30% of the Proyecto SALTO cohort reported engaging in sex with both women and men. WSWM experience lengthier and more frequent incarcerations, more stressful life events, higher rates of injection drug use with related Hepatitis C Virus infection, as well as more significant symptomatology associated with depression, PTSD, and suicidal ideation when compared to women who have sex with men only.…”