Sexual HIV risk among Thai methamphetamine users

描述（由申请人提供）：很少有研究检查异性甲基苯丙胺（MA）使用者的性风险行为。在过去十年中，马来酸酐已成为泰国年轻人滥用的主要药物。在许多情况下，MA与性风险行为的增加有关，而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。尽管泰国开展了几十年的艾滋病毒预防工作，但艾滋病毒流行率仍然很高，特别是在某些人口群体中。随着艾滋病毒进入泰国年轻MA使用者的社交网络，人们对艾滋病毒传播的可能性感到非常担忧。拟议的研究将探讨个人和社会层面的性风险行为的横截面样本的18-29岁的当前MA用户和他们的药物和性网络的成员在清迈省，泰国。具体目标是：1）定性探讨泰国MA使用者性行为的社会背景; 2）检验个人层面因素（如人口统计学特征、药物使用模式、抑郁和STI病史）与性风险行为之间的关联; 3）考察社会层面因素之间的关联，如网络特征，关系特征，社会支持和社会规范对性风险行为的影响; 4）建立个体、关系和社会网络因素之间的关系模型，预测性风险行为。深入访谈和定性分析方法将用于解决目标1;二元和多元统计分析将用于解决目标1-3。研究结果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.