Romania (2006): HIV/AIDS TRaC Study Evaluating the Effect of a POL-type Program among Men who have Sex with Men in Bucharest Second Round

This study is part of the men who have sex with men (MSM) program portfolio of PSI Romania. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of the Popular Opinion Leader (POL) intervention piloted in an MSM club in Bucharest, Romania. Research objectives included measuring the implementation of the POL intervention, measuring exposure to the intervention, and correlating exposure with desired changes in health behaviors (primarily protected sexual intercourse, and use of health services for STI and HIV testing) and selected determinants of these behaviors. As there was only one location available for the research, the study employed a take-all approach without sampling. At both baseline and follow-up, all eligible patrons of the club being surveyed were invited to participate in the survey. The data collection during both rounds took place over a period of 5 weekends, capturing the majority of eligible and willing respondents. At follow-up, the club Queens had closed, and the clientele had moved on to a new club, Impact. In an effort to capture respondents who had been sampled at baseline and could have been exposed to the intervention in Queens, the elibigility criteria included only those individuals who had frequented the club Queens in the previous six months

Romania (2005): HIV/AIDS TraC Study among Men who have Sex with Men First Round

The objective of this study was to gather quantitative information regarding sexuality-related behaviors and determinants among men who have sex with men in Romania, from a wide sample of men. The primary areas of interest were sexual relationships, condom use and related determinants, and health service utilization for HIV and STI testing. The findings will be critical for PSI in both improving its current internet-based MSM programming, as well as providing insight for a new intervention it will conduct which borrows heavily from the Popular Opinion Leader (POL) intervention designed by the University of Wisconsin's Canter for AIDS Intervention Research. The survey was designed to be implemented on the internet. This method was chosen given the difficulty of reaching a sizeable sample of men who have sex with men in Romania, and was based on a review on the use of this methodology and on the positive experience with such research conducted among MSM in the United Kingdom by Sigma Research (further details are provided in the Methodology section, Annex 2). Due to the obvious self-selection bias of the respondents (i.e., men who have access to the internet and who chose to respond to the survey), the findings cannot be generalized to all men who have sex with men in Romania. Nevertheless, it is important to note that this method has been used with success elsewhere in gathering important information among MSM. Responses in this survey came from over 21 Romanian cities (with the largest share from Bucharest); this is the first study of its kind (including a sample size of over 400) among this population in Romania

Romania (2007): HIV/AIDS TRaC Study Evaluating the Effect of a POL-type Program among Men who have Sex with Men in Bucharest Third Round

Research objectives include measuring the implementation of the POL intervention, measuring exposure to the intervention, and correlating exposure with desired changes in health behaviors (primarily protected sexual intercourse and use of health services for STI and HIV testing) and selected determinants of these behaviors. During the time of intervention implementation and research, only two suitable venues where MSM congregate existed in Bucharest: clubs Impact and Queens. Therefore, the study employed a take-all approach without sampling; all eligible patrons of the clubs being surveyed were invited to participate in the survey. A baseline and two follow-up surveys were conducted (baseline and first follow-up report are available at www.psi.org/research/). The data collection during baseline took place over a period of five weekends, whereas the first and second follow-up surveys were carried out in six weekends in an effort to increase the number of study participants. The majority of eligible and willing respondents were captured

Romania (2005): HIV/AIDS TRaC Study among Roma Males (15-30 Years). Second Round

The objective of this research was two-fold: (1) to evaluate the Interpersonal Communication (IPC) intervention on sexual health implemented among young Roma males (aged 15-30) in selected neighborhood of Bucharest between 2004 and 2005; and (2) to provide a baseline for future interventions with this population. The intervention and research was funded by USAID through the RiskNet Regional Project implemented by PSI Romania. The purpose was to test an STI/HIV edutainment intervention for replicability in other communities in Romania or in other Balkan countries with NGO partners. The study employed a pre-post case-comparison design. The intervention and comparison neighborhoods were chosen apriori, based on PSI's activities in certain areas, and selection of similar neighborhoods. The baseline and follow-up survey methodologies differed somewhat, primarily in the selection of participants (further described in Annex 2, Methodology). The questionnaire was conducted with trained interviewers, and consisted of 41 items covering selected behaviors, their determinants, and at follow-up, also exposure to the intervention. Analyses were conducted using STATA 8.2 statistical package

Replication data for: Central Asia (2008): Family Planning TRaC Study Evaluating Use of Modern Contraceptive Methods among Women of Reproductive Age in Rural Areas of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. First Round.

PSI/Central Asia is implementing a 2-year USAID-funded program to improve maternal health among underserved, low-income women in rural Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The program aims to address the lack of access to affordable family planning products, insufficient knowledge of modern contraceptives, and misconceptions about the safety and effectiveness of modern contraceptive methods.A multi-stage probability sampling strategy was used to recruit 2007 women of reproductive age, 15-49 years old living in target sites (small villages) of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The questionnaire collected information on background characteristics, opinions about sexual behavior, oral and injectable contraceptives, intrauterine devices, and condoms, beliefs and knowledge about modern contraceptive methods and exposure to maternal health improvement intervention

Replication data for: Central Asia (2007): Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of At-Risk Youth Relating to Injecting Drug Use and Sexual Behavior in Four Countries of Central Asia. Third Round.

PSI/ Central Asia implemented a 5-year USAID-funded Drug Demand Reduction Program (DDRP) called Youth Powerin select sites in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan (2003-2008). The objective of the Youth Power program was to reduce initiation to injecting drug use and increase condom use among at-risk youth aged 15-25 through mass media, peer educators, and a network of Youth Power Centers. There have been three surveys: baseline, and two follow-up surveys. The main objective of this study is to monitor changes in behavioral indicators and their determinants over time, and to evaluate the effect of the PSI intervention. Given low exposure to PSI's Youth Power Centers in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, this report presents evaluation analyses for Tajikistan and Uzbekistan only (where there were sufficient respondents in the third survey round who had been exposed to the Youth Power Centers)

Replication data for: Central Asia (2008): Trac Survey Evaluating Reproductive Health Among Women of Reproductive Age In Rural Areas of Priority Sites of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan Trough Interpersonal Communications. Second Round

PSI/Central Asia is implementing a 2-year USAID-funded program to improve maternal health among underserved, low-income women in rural Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The program aims to address the lack of access to affordable family planning products, insufficient knowledge of modern contraceptives, and misconceptions about the safety and effectiveness of modern contraceptive methods. Specifically this project serves as a model in rural areas of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan for effective improving reproductive health of women of reproductive age (WRA) using interpersonal communications (IPC)

Romania (2005): HIV/AIDS TRaC Study among Young People Frequenting Dance Clubs in Romania First Round

The objective of this study was to provide baseline data on selected behaviors related to HIV prevention among young people aged 18-24 in Bucharest, Romania, their related determinants, and the exposure to current HIV prevention programming among the target population. The key behaviors are (1) correct and consistent condom use (with different types of partners), (2) use of health services for STI testing and treatment, and (3) having 2 or more sexual partners in the last 3 months. The determinants of highest interest are opportunity, motivation and ability factors related to condom use and related to use of health services, with focus on communication about safe sex between partners. The study employed a one-stage cluster survey design with the number of respondents per club selected proportional to size of the club. Clubs were selected by convenience (i.e., those which included the target population and in which permission could be obtained to conduct the research). Potential respondents were approached in clubs, explained the purpose of the study, and asked if they could be contacted within three days at a mobile or fixed phone number, to conduct the actual interview. Subsequently, respondents were interviewed using the computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) method. The questionnaire for both men and women included 61 items focusing on socio-demographic characteristics; sexual experiences and behaviors; knowledge about the use of condoms; knowledge r egarding HIV and STI transmission and protection; self-efficacy, perceived threat and locus of control regarding condom negotiation, condom use, and communication between partners; and questions regarding exposure to current HIV prevention programs targeted at young people in Bucharest, Romania