Sexual HIV risk among Thai methamphetamine users

描述(由申请人提供)：很少有研究调查异性恋甲基安非他明(MA)使用者的性危险行为。在过去的十年里，马已经成为泰国年轻人滥用毒品的主要原因。在许多情况下，MA与增加的性风险行为有关，对其在这一人群中的影响知之甚少。现有的研究表明，泰国年轻人的性风险水平很高，但关于个人和社会对性行为的影响的数据有限。尽管泰国进行了数十年的艾滋病毒预防，但艾滋病毒流行率仍然很高，特别是在某些人群中。随着艾滋病毒进入他们的社交网络，泰国年轻的MA使用者中的艾滋病毒传播潜力令人非常担忧。这项拟议的研究将在泰国清迈省18-29岁的当前吸毒者及其毒品和性网络成员的横断面样本中探索性风险行为的个人和社会维度。研究的具体目的是：1)定性地探索泰国吸毒者性行为的社会背景；2)检验个人层面的因素，如人口统计特征、吸毒模式、抑郁和性传播感染史，对性风险行为的关联；3)考察社会层面因素，如网络特征、关系特征、社会支持和性行为的社会规范对性风险行为的关联；4)在预测性风险行为时，建立个人、关系和社会网络因素之间的关系模型。将使用深入访谈和定性分析方法来解决目标1；将使用双变量和多变量统计分析来解决目标1至3。这些发现将为艾滋病毒预防工作提供信息，解决社会和个人对行为的影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Few studies have examined sexual risk behaviors among heterosexual methamphetamine (MA) users. MA has become the leading drug of abuse among young people in Thailand over the past decade. MA has been associated with increased sexual risk behavior in many contexts, and relatively little is known about its impact in this population. Existing research shows high levels of sexual risk among Thai young people, but data are limited regarding individual and social influences on sexual behavior. Despite decades of HIV prevention in Thailand, HIV prevalence remains high, particularly in certain population segments. There is great concern about HIV transmission potential among young Thai MA users as HIV enters their social networks. The proposed study will explore individual and social dimensions of sexual risk behavior in a cross-sectional sample of 18-29 year old current MA users and members of their drug and sexual networks in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. The specific aims are to: 1) qualitatively explore the social context of sexual behavior among Thai MA users; 2) examine the association between individual-level factors, such as demographic characteristics, drug use patterns, depression, and STI history, on sexual risk behavior; 3) examine the association between social-level factors, such as network characteristics, relationship characteristics, social support and social norms regarding sexual behavior on sexual risk behavior; and 4) model the relationship between and among individual, relationship, and social network factors in predicting sexual risk behavior. In-depth interviews and qualitative analysis methods will be used to address Aim 1; bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses will be used to address Aims 1-3. Findings will inform HIV prevention efforts addressing social as well as individual influences on behavior.