The long-term objective of this study is to advance the development and acceptability of woman-controlled methods of HIV prevention, particularly among women at high risk through their own or their sexual partners' drug use. Drug-involved women constitute a high-priority population for HIV prevention, but efforts to date to reduce sexual risk behavior among these women have had limited success. Vaginal microbicide and other woman- controlled methods of HIV prevention currently under development may markedly enhance the protection against HIV available to these women, but these products will not succeed without more attention to the factors associated with their broad acceptability and barriers to their adoption. This 2-year study will be conducted by Abt Associates Inc. in collaboration with Family Health International and three sites-in Bridgeport, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; and San Juan, Puerto Rico-with demonstrated access to the populations of interest. it will assess the acceptability of currently available spermicides with delivery mechanisms likely to be used in anti-HIV vaginal microbicides. Three subgroups of drug-involved women will be included in the study: users of heroin; users of crack or other illegal drugs besides heroin; and actual/potential sexual partners of male drug injectors. Starting with existing models from contraceptive acceptability and HIV prevention research, a theoretical framework of microbicide acceptability among drug- involved women will be developed during Phase I (Year 1). To refine the framework, focus group research will then be conducted with adult, drug- involved women, male drug injectors, and male and female adolescents, and small product trials will be conducted in which adult women will use and report on their experience with three available spermicide products. The findings from Phase I, identifying acceptability factors such as price, ease and timing of use, and unobtrusiveness for different age, racial/ethnic, and drug-involvement subgroups, will be quantitatively tested in a Phase II survey of larger samples of drug-involved women in the same three sites during year 2. Contingent upon the results of the phase I-II research, a Phase III controlled trial of actual anti-HIV microbicide products and an intervention designed to increase their adoption and continued use, may be proposed.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
3R01DA010871-02S1
Application #
6021486
Study Section
Human Development Research Subcommittee (NIDA)
Project Start
1997-04-04
Project End
1999-12-31
Budget Start
1998-02-01
Budget End
1999-12-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Abt Associates, Inc.
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Cambridge
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02138