Since the 2016 United States elections, immigrants from Latin America with HIV have become more anxious about the possibility of being deported to their home countries and losing access to medical care, according to a recent Viewpoint published in The Lancet HIV.

Even though HIV treatment is available throughout Latin America, Kathleen R. Page, MD, associate professor in the division of infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and colleagues said access varies depending on economic, social and political circumstances. After deportation, immigrants are frequently released at the border between the U.S. and Mexico with no identification and few personal belongings, the researchers reported. Most are unfamiliar with the area, which is often far from their home community.