Tijuana Escorts: US-Mexico border program is modest in cost and time, but notably effective
Earlier research had shown that Mujer Segura was effective in a study of 600 female sex workers in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, but questions lingered about comparative affordability. The financial burden of the worldwide HIV epidemic is huge: More than $10 billion annually. In Mexico alone, HIV-related costs exceed $270 million each year, 88 percent of which goes to antiretroviral treatments for patients with active diseases. Could a program like Mujer Segura reduce overall HIV costs by preventing infections in the first place?
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Programs aimed at reducing HIV and STIs among female sex workers are crucial, said Rodriguez at CENSIDA, because they help reduce disease transmission between high-risk groups and the general population in areas with concentrated epidemics. Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, where UC San Diego researchers have long focused their studies, are obvious target areas because commercial sex work there is quasi-legal and thriving.