The long-term objective of this research is to use dynamic network-based mathematical models of human migration and HIV transmission dynamics for designing and evaluating HIV prevention interventions, such as the message of concurrency. There are three specific aims of this research project.
The first aim i s to review existing data on migration and HIV in Ghana. This literature review and empirical research will 1) highlight migration patterns and HIV disparities in Ghana 2) emphasize gaps in our knowledge ofthe complex association between migration and HIV transmission, and 3) reveal the limitations of standard crosssectional data collection. The results of this analysis will inform the questionnaire design in the second aim. Thus the second aim of this research is to design and implement a small-scale pilot survey of sexual networks, migration history, and HIV sexual risk behaviors. The PI will also determine the feasibility of collecting HIV biomarkers for HIV for future cross-discipline work.
The third aim i s to develop a mathematical model based on the network sample in order to quantify the impact of migration on the spread of HIV. This pilot modeling work will be the basis of an R01 application toward the end of the ROO grant cycle.
This work hypothesizes that migration may significantly enhance HIV transmission because migration changes the timing and sequence of partnership formation and duration which promotes concurrency. Thus migrants may be a key target for behavioral prevention interventions aimed at reducing HIV acquisition as well as secondary transmission.
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