Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases
Identifying the HIV–Bridge Population in Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI)
Clinics, Russia
In Russia, the AIDS epidemic is currently concentrated among injection drug users (IDUs) and commercial sex workers (CSWs), but it appears to be spreading through their sex partners who serve as “bridges” into the general population.
The goal of this study is to learn more about this “bridge population,” and to monitor risk behavior in well-defined
samples from both high–risk groups and the general population. To accomplish this, EMD researchers propose to study
individuals attending STI clinics in St. Petersburg to identify if the clinics can be suitable sites for interventions aimed at
curbing the spread of HIV among those who have sex with IDUs or CSWs.
These findings will determine whether an HIV prevention program conducted at STI clinics could address the prevention
needs of the bridge population and stem the development of a generalized epidemic in Russia.
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