HIV and Substance Use in the Pacific

描述（由申请人提供）：服装和其他合同工占北方马里亚纳群岛联邦（CNMI）人口的一半以上。 大多数是来自亚洲和其他太平洋岛屿的年轻妇女移民劳工，她们面临着艰苦的工作和生活条件。 尽管如此，一些妇女被迫从事性交易，而另一些妇女则可能选择参与性行业（例如，因为这是有利可图的）。 据推测，这些压力导致药物使用和危险的性行为，这可能导致艾滋病毒和其他性传播疾病（性病）的收购。 迄今为止，关于北马里亚纳群岛自由邦合同工使用药物、性病和艾滋病毒风险行为的数据很少，然而，北马里亚纳群岛自由邦近年来经历了甲基苯丙胺的流行，据信其使用很普遍。 这项前瞻性研究将通过访谈者管理的问卷调查来测量基线物质使用和性史，作为政府赞助的艾滋病毒/性病筛查的一部分，这是工人进入北马里亚纳群岛自由邦后的就业合同所要求的。 将确定物质使用、艾滋病毒和性传播疾病的流行率和相关因素。 随后在六个月和一年的访问将测量物质使用和性行为的变化，以及压力，抑郁和自杀行为，以及艾滋病毒/性病检测。 确定事件的艾滋病毒/性传播疾病的情况下，女性移民工人之间的感染的相关因素，可以帮助设计艾滋病毒/性传播疾病的合同工的教育方案，防止艾滋病毒/性传播疾病的传播到/从从事性交易的妇女，并确定适当的治疗方案，为那些感染的年轻妇女。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Garment and other contract workers account for more than half of the population of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI). The majority are immigrant laborers who are young women from Asia and other Pacific Islands, and who are exposed to harsh working and living conditions. Allegedly, some women have been forced into the sex trade, whereas others may choose to participate in the sex industry (e.g., because it is lucrative). It is hypothesized that these stressors result in substance use and risky sexual practices, which can lead to the aquisition of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). To date, data on substance use, STDs and HIV risk behaviors among CNMI contract workers are sparse, however, the CNMI experienced a methamphetamine epidemic in recent years and its use is believed to be prevalent. This prospective study will measure baseline substance use and sexual history via an interviewer-administered questionnaire as part of government-sponsored HIV/STD screening, which is required by the workers' employment contract upon entry into the CNMI. Prevalence and correlates of substance use, HIV and STDs will be determined. Subsequent visits at six months and one year would measure changes in substance use and sexual practices, as well as stress, depression, and suicidal behavior, in addition to HIV/STD testing. Identifying incident HIV/STD cases and the correlates of infection among the female migrant workers could aid in the design of HIV/STD education programs for contract workers, prevent spread of HIV/STDs to/from women working in the sex trade, and identifying appropriate treatment options for those infected young women.