This application requests funding for the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, UCSF, San Francisco to develop a collaborative project with the AIDS Research and Control Center (ARCON), J.J. Hospital, Bombay. ARCON is a center that provides HIV testing and counseling and STD treatment. The Principal Investigator proposes a two-year study targeting male and female HIV seropositive and seronegative STD patients attending the clinic. During the first year of the project, the researchers will conduct formative research to determine the context and correlates of high-risk behavior and to develop structured questionnaires to assess the prevalence and incidence of high risk behaviors. They will also improve laboratory capabilities to diagnose STDs and improve tracking strategies to follow subjects over time. During the second year, they will perform a longitudinal cohort study of 200 participants to obtain information on the impact of the existing HIV counseling and testing program on behavior and incident HIV and STD infections. This information will be used to refine the current counseling and testing program and enhance future HIV and STD risk reduction strategies.
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