Library

Application of Weighted Time-Series to Address Bias in Evaluation of Clinic- and Community-Level Research

This study will use simulation to develop, test and apply new analytic methods (weighted time-series) for evaluation of community-level interventions. It will then compare results using weighted time-series and conventional methods within the context of a clinic-level intervention to provide family-centered HIV care, voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) and prevention services at Family AIDS Care and Education Services (FACES), a community-based organization in Kenya.

Application of Weighted Time-Series to Address Bias in Evaluation of Clinic- and Community-Level Research

This study will use simulation to develop, test and apply new analytic methods (weighted time-series) for evaluation of community-level interventions. It will then compare results using weighted time-series and conventional methods within the context of a clinic-level intervention to provide family-centered HIV care, voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) and prevention services at Family AIDS Care and Education Services (FACES), a community-based organization in Kenya.

Formative Study of the Role of Gender, Ethnicity and Sexual Orientation in the Provision of Prevention Counseling with HIV+ Patients

We will conduct formative research to inform the design of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) that will quantitatively assess the relative importance of gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation in providers’ decisions to provide Prevention with Positives (PWP) counseling. In the DCE, providers will be presented a variety of scenarios in which factors that impact provision of PWP counseling are varied.

AIDS Education and Training Centers’ HIV Recommendations Training Initiative

Six Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center (PAETC) local performance sites (LPSs) will target medical settings for activities to promote and support expanded HIV testing, per the 2006 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health-Care Settings.

Couples in Context: An RCT of Couples-Based HIV Prevention Intervention

This project has two primary aims: 1. Identify barriers and facilitators for heterosexual couples pertaining to utilizing couples-based voluntary counseling and testing (CBVCT) in Soweto, South Africa 2. Identify relationship-based predictors of HIV risk behavior in couples (e.g., communication, intimacy, commitment, etc.). The study is comprised of two phases.

Couples-Based Voluntary Counseling and Testing and HIV Prevention in South Africa

This project has two primary aims: Identify barriers and facilitators for heterosexual couples pertaining to utilizing couples-based voluntary counseling and testing (CBVCT) in Soweto, South Africa Identify relationship-based predictors of HIV risk behavior in couples (e.g., communication, intimacy, commitment, etc.). The study is comprised of two phases.

Developing a Comprehensive Couples-Based Intervention in South Africa

This project conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with couples (n=20) key informants (n=12), and focus groups (n=4) regarding the feasibility and acceptability of a comprehensive couples-based intervention. Key issues were explored to determine potential interest for intervention content.

Local Evaluation Online (LEO)

Through this project CAPS is partnering with the California Office of AIDS (OA) to provide on-going support for the Local Evaluation On-Line (LEO) system in California. LEO is a web-based information system that enables California’s prevention providers to systematically collect and access information that is critical to effectively prevent HIV infection.

AIDS Stigma and Gender: Health Consequences in Urban India

This study is a collaboration between UCSF, UC Davis, the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore and the TATA Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai.

Qualitative Study of HIV Prevalence Patterns among Youth in Botswana

Three recent independent national datasets suggest that the rate of new HIV infections in Botswana appears to be declining, as evidenced by decreased prevalence among pregnant women aged 15-49. However, it is still uncertain why these declines have been observed and the extent to which behavioral changes (e.g., monogamy, condom use) have been causally associated with the decline.

Assessment of the Adaptation and Implementation of the Mpowerment Project

The objective of this project is to better understand how 12 community-based organizations (CBOs), funded under CDC’s program announcement 06-618, are implementing and adapting the Mpowerment Project (MP) for young men of color who have sex with other men and young transgendered people of color. This project’s specific goals are to: Review and summarize all available background information about the MP at these 12 CBOs (e.g., grantee original applications, progress reports, site visit r

Balance Project: A Randomized Clinical Trial of an HIV Treatment Side Effects Coping Intervention

The Balance Project is a randomized controlled trial that tests a counseling intervention to help HIV+ men and women achieve an active role in their health care. The intervention is designed to help individuals cope with the challenges of taking medications, deal with side effects, and maintain an active collaboration with their health care providers.

Cambodian Young Women’s Health Study

This multidisciplinary study includes epidemiological research on prevalence and incidence of HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and human papillomavirus (HPV), as well as rates of drug use including amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) among young women in Phnom Penh, Cambodia working in the sex and entertainment service sectors and who have multiple sexual partners.

CAPS/Fogarty International Traineeships in AIDS Prevention Studies (I-TAPS) [summary]

We sponsor four types of training: 1. An intensive eight-week course in designing and conducting AIDS prevention research In our prevention research course, trainees develop a study protocol for implementation in their home countries. Subsequently, we provide assistance to obtain funding to field these pilot studies, and provide continued technical assistance from a CAPS faculty mentor. 2.

Computer-Based vs Interpersonal HIV Preventive Intervention for At-Risk Youth

Building on the results of three efficacious HIV prevention programs with those at high HIV risk (LIGHT, Adolescent LIGHT, & Street Smart), this study aims to examine the relative efficacy of LIGHT in an interpersonal or a computerized delivery format, in contrast to a standard care HIV prevention condition. The project has proceeded in two phases.

Ecosystems Therapy for Men Reintegrating into Their Family

Structural Ecosystems Therapy (SET) is an intervention designed to mobilize participants’ families and other ecosystem members (such as service providers) to support and motivate behavior change. In this study, the SET intervention was adapted with the goal of reducing HIV transmission risk behavior and increasing medical adherence among HIV+ men being released from prison.

Faith-Based HIV Prevention for Young Black MSM

The goal of this project, which was originally conducted in collaboration with the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, was to determine what approaches to HIV prevention for young Black men who have sex with men could be implemented by faith-based organizations. We assessed the capacity, interest and attitudes of certain Black churches towards HIV prevention by conducting 22 semi-structured telephone interviews with representatives of select Black churches in California.

Focus Project: A Mindfulness Approach to HIV Treatment Side Effects

The Focus Project, funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the NIH, is a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention in reducing HIV treatment side effects and side effect-related distress. The intervention is a standardized series of eight weekly MBSR sessions, two to three hours long, held at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine.

Formative Research to Assess HIV Risk among MSM in Nepal

This study aims to meet the need for in-depth formative research to develop an evidence-based and theory-driven HIV prevention intervention with MSM in Nepal. The study will be conducted in collaboration with the Blue Diamond Society, the only CBO currently serving MSM in Nepal.

Global AIDS Program

Since 2002, the Institute for Global Health (IGH) has helped CDC’s Global AIDS Program (GAP) to achieve its goals in GAP countries and regions. UCSF faculty and staff have provided technical assistance in several broad component areas including surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, technical and scientific writing, literature digests and reviews, and research design.