HIV/AIDS PREVENTION RESEARCH IN ST.CROIX,U.S. V.I.

这是一项R21探索性/发展性应用加勒比海盆地的艾滋病发病率仅次于撒哈拉以南非洲在美属维尔京群岛，发病率也很高，妇女中的发病率上升尤其快。1999年7月至2000年6月期间，维尔京群岛男子中新报告的艾滋病病例为每10万人679例，排名第三（仅次于华盛顿、哥伦比亚特区和纽约）妇女的死亡率为每10万人340人，居第二位（后华盛顿，D C）艾滋病毒/艾滋病预防研究从未在美属维尔京群岛进行，到目前为止，还没有任何方案来解决非洲-加勒比岛民，特别是维尔京群岛岛民的文化问题和预防障碍。在维尔京群岛卫生部、圣克罗伊妇女联盟、维尔京群岛男子联盟、维尔京群岛大学和维尔京群岛医学研究所的支持下，拟议研究的目的是：1）确定维尔京群岛圣克罗伊、维尔京群岛大学、维尔京2）为目标人群制定和测试文化相关的艾滋病毒预防/干预措施的适当性和可接受性，以及3）探索QraSure艾滋病毒检测的可行性这些目标将通过以下方式实现：a）从100名女性和100名男性中收集关于吸毒和性行为、艾滋病毒风险和其他生活经历的基线数据，这些人似乎处于艾滋病毒感染的高风险中，B）与卫生和人类服务领域的关键信息提供者以及宗教和警察组织的代表以及目标人群的成员进行重点小组讨论，以确定支持、障碍， （c）根据目标人群的意见制定面向女性和面向男性的艾滋病毒干预措施;（d）通过与关键信息提供者和目标人群成员组成的重点小组，评估由此产生的干预措施在文化上的适当性和适宜性。

This is an R21 exploratory/developmental application Rates of AIDS in the Caribbean Basin are second only to those in Sub-Saharan Africa In the U S Virgin Islands, rates are also high, and are increasing especially fast among women For the period July 1999 - June 2000, the rate of newly reported cases of AIDS among men in the Virgin Islands was 679 per 100,000 population, ranking it third (after Washington, D C and New York) among the United States and its territories The rate for women was 340 per 100,000, ranking it second (after Washington, D C) HIV/AIDS prevention research has never been conducted in the U S Virgin Islands, and to date there are no programs which address the cultural issues and prevention barriers specific to African-Caribbean islanders in general, and to Virgin Islanders in particular As such, and with the support of the Virgin Islands Department of Health, the Women's Coalition of St Croix, the Men's Coalition of the Virgin Islands, the University of the Virgin Islands and theVl Medical Institute, the aims of the proposed research are to 1) determine the nature and extent of HIV risk behaviors within populations of sexually active, drug and/or alcoholinvolved, women and men in St Croix, U SVl, 2) develop and test the appropriateness and acceptability of culturally relevant HIV prevention/interventions for the target populations, and 3) explore the feasibility of QraSure HIV testing These aims will be accomplished by a) collecting baseline data on drug-using and sexual behaviors, HIV risks, and other life experiences from 100 women and 100 men who appear to be at high risk for HIV infection, b) conducting focus groups with key informants in the health and human services fields as well as representatives of religious and police organizations, and members of the target populations to determine the supports, barriers, and impediments to safe sex, drug use, and HIV testing, c) developing female-oriented and male-oriented HIV interventions based on the input from the target populations, and d) assessing the cultural appropriateness and suitability of the resulting interventions through focus groups with key informants and members of the target populations.