Introduction:

The situation of vulnerability faced by the migrant brings with it emotional changes that can facilitate or hinder their adaptation to risky behaviors; self-esteem can be relevant in the sexual behaviors presented by the migrant.

Objective:

To analyze scientific evidence on the relationship between self-esteem and risky sexual behavior for HIV in migrants.

Methodology:

A systematic review was carried out based on the recommendations of the PRISMA protocol. The literature search was performed in the following electronic databases: Pubmed, Ebscohost, Scopus, Web of Science and SciELO Citation Index. For the search strategy, the DeCS/MeSH descriptors were established and the quality of the literature was validated.

Results:

The relationship between self-esteem and sexual behaviors is not consistent, higher self-esteem predicts risky sexual relations (lower probability of using condoms) (β = -40, p <.01), and there is an association between lower self-esteem and a higher probability of sex and unsafe sex with a casual partner (OR = 1.82).

Conclusions:

There is inconsistency in the evidence about whether self-esteem is a protective or risk factor for migrants' sexual behavior. However, the studies analyzed do not highlight risky sexual behaviors for contracting HIV; therefore, it is proposed that we continue to address the issue, especially in the migrant population, which is in constant change and with multiple factors that influence their decision making and behavioral changes.