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Research Project

ASHA Improving Health and Nutrition of Indian Women with AIDS and Their Children

The overall goal of this study is to enhance the physical and mental health of rural Indian women living with AIDS and their children. We will achieve these goals through the use of trained village women as Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) to enhance the health of women and children through improved ART adherence, CD4 levels, and physical and mental health. This Indo-US collaboration between University of California, Los Angeles, University of California, San Francisco and All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) builds on our previous work with rural women living with AIDS and our successful ASHA program. Specific objectives include: Using a 2x2 factorial design, we plan to assess the effects of nutrition training and/or food supplements on primary outcomes for rural women living with AIDS in improving body composition and immune status (CD4 levels) as assessed at 6-, 12- and 18-month follow-up. Examining the effects of the program arms and their interaction on adherence to ART, psychological health, nutritional adequacy, and lipid profile over time.
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Needle exchange programs (NEP)

More than a million people in the US inject drugs frequently, at a cost to society in health care, lost productivity, accidents, and crime of more than $50 billion a year. People who inject drugs imperil their own health. If they contract HIV or hepatitis, their needle-sharing partners, sexual partners and offspring may become infected. It is estimated that half of all new HIV infections in the US are occurring among injection drug users (IDUs). For women, 61% of all AIDS cases are due to injection drug use or sex with partners who inject drugs. Injection drug use is the source of infection for more than half of all children born with HIV. Injection drug use is also the most common risk factor in persons with hepatitis C infection. Up to 90% of IDUs are estimated to be infected with hepatitis C, which is easily transmitted and can cause chronic liver disease. Hepatitis B is also transmitted via injection drug use. Needle exchange programs (NEPs) distribute clean needles and safely dispose of used ones for IDUs, and also generally offer a variety of related services, including referrals to drug treatment and HIV counseling and testing.

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Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT)

In 2012, there were 2.3 million new HIV infections globally. A large proportion of people newly diagnosed with HIV worldwide are in their reproductive years and these men and women are likely to want children in the future. Addressing the sexual and reproductive health and rights of this population is critical to addressing the spread of HIV because HIV infection in childbearing women is the main cause of HIV infection in children. Treatment for those who are already infected is also central to stopping the spread of HIV to infants and to uninfected sexual partners.
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International HIV Prevention Research at the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California San Francisco

The principal objective of the International Core at the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS) is to facilitate high quality international research by creating effective and productive partnerships between CAPS scientists and HIV prevention researchers from developing countries. The International Core brings together CAPS scientists and alumni of the Collaborative Prevention Research in Developing Countries Program, a training program for new developing country researchers (described below). CAPS has successfully developed a broad portfolio of small-scale international research projects conducted by CAPS scientists and Program alumni. Together we have made important contributions toward understanding how to prevent HIV transmission and how to care for the HIV-infected in the developing world.
Research Project

Transgender Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center (TETAC)

The TETAC provides the HRSA Enhancing Engagement and Retention in Quality HIV Care for Transgender Women of Color initiative with expert leadership in the multi-site evaluation and dissemination of findings and technical assistance (TA) and capacity building to improve the timely entry, engagement, and retention in HIV primary care for transwomen of color. The project is guided by four primary goals:
  • Goal 1 (Evaluation) To provide support to the demonstration sites as they design and implement their site-specific evaluation plans, and to conduct rigorous, cross-site evaluation research that will make a significant contribution to improving the timely entry, engagement, and retention (from the cascade of care model) in quality HIV primary care for transwomen of color.
  • Goal 2 (TA) To provide TA tailored to the specific needs of each demonstration site through teleconferences, a website, webinars, site visits, and meetings in a variety of domains including (1) program development, implementation, and sustainability; (2) clinical consultation; (3) multi-site and location evaluation; (4) human research protection; (5) IRBs; and (6) intervention manuals.
  • Goal 3 (Capacity Building) To provide capacity building assistance (CBA) relating to the provision of quality clinical and culturally competent HIV primary care and social services to transwomen of color.
  • Goal 4 (Dissemination) To synthesize and disseminate findings from demonstration projects to optimize impact on the timely entry, engagement, and retention in quality HIV primary care for transwomen of color.