Effects of an HIV Intervention Among Sex Workers in the Philippines

Effects of an HIV Intervention Among Female and Male Entertainers and Spa/Sauna Workers in the Philippines

University of California, Los Angeles, Center for Environment and Sustainable Development Foundation, Inc., National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), The Fordham University HIV and Drug Abuse Prevention Research Ethics Training Institute (RETI), University of California, San Diego, San Diego State University

This study will implement a socio-behavioral intervention in Quezon City, the Philippines, using a community-based participatory approach. The intervention involves 1-2 psychosocial and health education training workshops for the establishment managers and their workers, focusing on HIV/AIDS risk reduction information and condom use and condom negotiation skill-building. Participants will also be invited to do dream-building activities that explore their personal goals and goals for their organization of peers.

This study will implement a socio-behavioral intervention in Quezon City, the Philippines, using a community-based participatory approach. The intervention involves 1-2 psychosocial and health education training workshops for the establishment managers and their workers, focusing on HIV/AIDS risk reduction information, condom use, and condom negotiation skill-building. Participants will also be invited to do dream-building activities that explore their personal goals and goals for their organization of peers. The intervention involves targeted and tailored bio-psycho-educational interventions directed at organizational behavior change and social influence modeling through training peers and managers. The intervention site will receive peer and manager trainings consisting of specific information on STIs along with standard care, held on a day convenient to the participants and at the establishment or neutral location. In addition to quick pre-post tests before and immediately after the intervention, participants will be interviewed 6-12 months after the intervention to evaluate the effects of the intervention on their STI/HIV knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, safer sex practices, and social support.

This study implements a socio-behavioral intervention in Metro Manila, the Philippines, using a community-based participatory approach with 1-2 psychosocial and health education training workshops for the establishment managers and their workers, including street sex workers, focusing on HIV/AIDS risk reduction information, condom use, and condom negotiation skill-building. Participants participate in dream-building activities to explore personal goals and goals for their organization of peers. The interventions are directed at organizational behavior change and social influence modeling through training peers and managers. The participants receive information on STIs along with standard care, held on a day convenient to the participants and at a neutral location.

The intervention covers HIV101 information, reproductive health and human rights national policies, goal setting activities as individuals and as a group, results of prior research on ethics of doing research with sex workers.

Inclusion Criteria: self-identification as conducting sex work or working in a venue where sex work occurs. Exclusion Criteria: those not actively engaging in sex work activities or working in a venue or area where sex work occurs.

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