TAJ Study
Principal Investigator
Key Personnel
Debbie Cheng, ScD, Biostatistician
Manojkumar Pardeshi, Co-Investigator & Indian PI
Shabana Patel, Co-Investigator & Indian Co-PI
Anita Raj, PhD, Co-Investigator
Niranjan Saggurti, Co-Investigator
Project Manager
Carly Bridden, MA, MPH
617-414-5768
Carly.Bridden@bmc.org
Staff
Sharon Coleman, Statistical Analyst
Grant Abstract
Although India currently has the largest number of people infected with HIV of any nation, to date, there have been no secondary HIV prevention programs with demonstrated effectiveness in this region of the world. Lack of adequate behavioral risk data regarding HIV-infected adults in India impedes the development of such programs. Given evidence of the role of transactional sex in the Indian HIV epidemic and the role of alcohol in heightening sexual risk during transactional sex, research on alcohol, sexual risk, and transactional sex among HIV-infected people is clearly indicated. A US and Indian research team will collaborate with the HIV Positive People’s Network (HPPN), also known as INP+ (India-national level network), the largest organization in India serving those living with HIV, to achieve the following Specific Aims:
1) To characterize alcohol consumption patterns of HIV-infected Indian adults reporting a history of transactional sex involvement.
2) To identify the association between alcohol consumption and risky sex practices within or outside the context of transactional sex.
3) To describe the rationale and contexts for alcohol use by HIV-infected Indians with a history of transactional sex involvement, including its role in risky sex practices.
The study will be conducted among HIV-infected men who purchase sex and among HIV-infected women who sell sex recruited from Mumbai and Guntur, Indian districts experiencing major HIV epidemics linked to transactional sex (n=500). Cross-sectional surveys will assess demographics, alcohol use, and risky sex practices. A sub-sample of survey participants reporting past 30 day alcohol use will be recruited to participate in in-depth interviews regarding alcohol use by HIV-infected individuals within and outside the context of transactional sex (n=48). The study findings will enable development of intervention research to address alcohol-related risky sex and, ultimately, reduce the transmission of HIV in India.
