Expansion to Interdisciplinary HIV Prevention in Women

Preventing FAS/ARND in Russian Children/Expansion to Interdisciplinary HIV Prevention in Women

This trial will pilot test intervention strategies to increase utilization of HIV testing and gain knowledge for designing a clinical trial to evaluate prevention strategies to reduce HIV sexual transmission in the general population in Russia. The study will assess whether external (cost, convenience) or internal factors (low perception of own risk, reluctance to identify a partner as at-risk, fear of stigma) drive Russian women's reluctance to be tested and if peer support impacts their decision. A randomized experimental manipulation, comparing opt-in vs. bundled opt-out testing approaches, followed by focus group discussions, followed by a second-chance testing offer will be used to inform these questions. The answers will enable the international research team to engineer and then test an HIV testing promotion strategy in Russia. The project will collect preliminary data for a larger study to develop an evidence-based program to reduce the HIV transmission in this high risk population.

A mixed methods research design combining qualitative and quantitative data collection methods will be used to increase the understanding of barriers to HIV testing, identify promising strategies to increase testing, generate research hypotheses, and design a future randomized clinical trial to evaluate HIV prevention targeted to at-risk women in the general population in Russia. The qualitative methods include structured interviews and a focus group participation to assess women's reasons for being the tested and possible prevention strategies. The quantitative methods include observation/recording of women's testing behaviors.

Inclusion Criteria:

• A parent study participants who completed HIV risk survey and
• Reported two or more partners in the last 12 months and no or inconsistent condom use in the last 3 months and no HIV testing in the last 12 months
• Or reported any sexually-transmitted disease and no HIV testing in the last 12 months

Exclusion Criteria:

• A parent study participants who declined to be contacted for participating in future research studies