Potential impact of restricting STD/HIV care for immigrants in Los Angeles County
Asch, S.; Rulnick, S.; Todoroff, C.; Richwald, G.
International Journal of Std and Aids 7(7): 532-535
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0956-4624 PMID: 9116074 Document Number: 329633
Legislative restrictions in immigrants' access to health care and local governmental funding shortfalls in the USA and Western Europe have raised fears that public clinic patients might delay care for communicable diseases. To help quantify the potential impact of both policies on public clinics providing STD services, 234 patients from five LA clinics were surveyed regarding their alternative sources of health care. Of the 215 providing complete information (response rate=91%), 52 (24%) reported they had no legal rights to reside in the USA. Compared to the legal resident control group, illegal immigrants were significantly more likely to indicate that they had no alternative access to medical care (27% vs 44%). It is concluded that for a substantial proportion of patients, particularly illegal immigrants, the STD clinics are indeed essential. Restricting access to these clinics may have unpredictable public health consequences.