Venezuelan gay and bisexual migrants in Lima experience high HIV care engagement alongside an ongoing burden of STIs within a broader context of migration-related social vulnerability, highlighting the need for more integrated and sustained HIV-STI prevention and resettlement support.
Key Findings
Results
Venezuelan GBM migrants in Lima had high rates of HIV, with approximately half of the 306 participants living with HIV.
152 of 306 Venezuelan GBM were living with HIV
Of those living with HIV, 70 were diagnosed in Venezuela, 65 after leaving Venezuela, and 17 were newly diagnosed through the study
59% of participants had been living in Peru since 2018 or earlier
Median age of participants was 32 years
Participants were recruited between June and October 2024 via a cross-sectional biobehavioural survey
Results
Nearly all Venezuelan GBM living with HIV who knew their status reported being on antiretroviral therapy (ART).
99% of GBM living with HIV who knew their status reported being on ART
This finding suggests Peru's HIV infrastructure demonstrates capacity for post-migration linkage to care
17 participants were newly diagnosed through the study, indicating some undiagnosed cases remained
Results
Syphilis was the most common STI among Venezuelan GBM migrants in Lima, followed by gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Syphilis prevalence was 19%
Gonorrhea prevalence was 12%
Chlamydia prevalence was 10%
Laboratory-based testing was used to detect chlamydia and syphilis
STI burden was described as ongoing within a broader context of migration-related social vulnerability
Results
GBM diagnosed with HIV, whether in Venezuela or after leaving, were significantly more likely to test positive for an STI compared to HIV-negative GBM.
GBM diagnosed with HIV in Venezuela had a prevalence ratio of 2.29 (95% CI: 1.39–3.79) for STI positivity compared to HIV-negative GBM
GBM diagnosed with HIV after leaving Venezuela had a prevalence ratio of 2.29 (95% CI: 1.47–3.56) for STI positivity compared to HIV-negative GBM
Poisson regression models with robust standard errors were used to estimate these associations
HIV status and migration context were both examined as predictors of STI positivity
Conclusions
Migration-related social vulnerability and treatment disruptions were identified as ongoing challenges for Venezuelan GBM migrants in Lima.
The study framed STI co-infection and HIV care gaps within a broader context of migration-related social vulnerability
Persistent STI co-infection and migration-related treatment disruptions were highlighted as key concerns
The authors noted the need for more integrated and sustained HIV-STI prevention, sexual health services, and resettlement support
The study recruited participants of any HIV serostatus, allowing comparison across HIV diagnosis contexts
What This Means
This research examined the sexual health of Venezuelan gay and bisexual men who had migrated to Lima, Peru. The study recruited 306 men and tested them for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. About half of the participants were living with HIV, and nearly all of those who already knew their HIV status were on treatment — suggesting that Peru's health system has been relatively successful at connecting migrants to HIV care after they arrive. However, rates of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were high, with syphilis affecting nearly 1 in 5 participants, and gonorrhea and chlamydia each affecting roughly 1 in 10.
The study also found that men living with HIV — regardless of whether they were diagnosed before or after leaving Venezuela — were more than twice as likely to also test positive for an STI compared to HIV-negative participants. This suggests that even when HIV treatment is being accessed, broader sexual health needs, including STI prevention and treatment, are not being fully met. The researchers noted that migration-related challenges, such as social vulnerability and disruptions to care during transit or resettlement, likely contribute to these ongoing health burdens.
This research suggests that while connecting migrants to HIV treatment is working reasonably well in Lima, more comprehensive and integrated sexual health services are needed — ones that address STIs alongside HIV and also account for the social challenges that migrants face during resettlement. Simply providing HIV medications is not sufficient if other aspects of sexual health are being overlooked.
D. Apedaile, K. Konda, Jesus Batista, Juan Carlos Ramírez Tovar, Julien B Brisson, Deana Franceska De Jesus Léon Morris, et al.. (2026). HIV and STI Co-infection and Migration-Related Social Vulnerability among Venezuelan Gay and Bisexual Migrants in Lima, Peru.. Sexually Transmitted Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1097/OLQ.0000000000002403