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For Immediate Release
October 18, 2007
CUSSW Collaborates with the National AIDS Foundation to Conduct Intervention Study with Sex Workers in Mongolia
New York, NY – The Social Intervention Group at the Columbia University School of Social Work (CUSSW) is collaborating with the National AIDS Foundation (NAF) to test the efficacy of an HIV and alcohol abuse prevention program. Funded by National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, the study aims to reduce HIV risk among sex workers in Mongolia.
While reported HIV positive cases have been few in Mongolia, the country is centrally located in a vulnerable zone bordered by China and Russia, where the HIV/AIDS epidemic is rapidly expanding. Having been economically devastated following the collapse of the USSR, many women turned to sex work for survival. In the general population, up to 58% of women under the age of 25 have reported at least one diagnosed sexually transmitted infection (STI), while 8% of women have reported alcohol abuse.
“Despite the knowledge of HIV transmission risks, as many as 60% of Mongolian women surveyed by the NAF reported using condoms inconsistently, rating alcohol abuse as a primary reason for non-condom use,” says Dr. Susan Witte, principal investigator and associate professor at the School of Social Work. “The commercial industry of sex workers has grown with migration, creating opportunities for unprotected sex exchange transactions and transmission of HIV/STIs across geographic boundaries. Without urgent interventions, Mongolia is poised to become a significant contributor to the regional HIV epidemic.”
The study will recruit 165 women from the NAF program who have a recent history of alcohol abuse and engage in high risk sexual behaviors. These women will be assessed and randomized to receive one of three programs: a HIV sexual risk reduction intervention, an HIV sexual risk reduction intervention that integrates motivational interviewing, or a general wellness intervention that will serve as a control.
“This pioneering initiative that will make great contributions at the national and the organizational levels in Mongolia, says Dr. Altantsetseg Batsukh, co-principal investigator and Executive Director of the National AIDS Foundation (NAF) in Mongolia. “Most importantly it will help social work and public health interventions move forward towards international standards by building capacity and introducing evidence-based approaches in Mongolia among women who have drinking problem. It will inspire and educate many professionals who dedicate themselves in the areas of HIV/AIDS prevention and behavior change interventions.”
For more information, or to interview Dr. Susan Witte, please contact Jeannie Hii at 212-851-2327 or [email protected].
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About CUSSW (www.socialwork.columbia.edu)
For more than 100 years, the Columbia University School of Social Work has been the leader in practice and policy. Located in New York City, the School offers Master’s and Doctoral programs which are nationally and internationally recognized for their excellence. With a signature curriculum and far-reaching field education experience, CUSSW continues to be at the forefront of clinical practice, public policy, teaching, research and social work innovation in the 21st Century.
About the Social Intervention Group (www.socialwork.columbia.edu/sig)
The Social Intervention Group is a multidisciplinary research center that works to bring prevention and intervention models to local, national, and international communities. The center addresses co-occurring problems such as HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, and interpersonal violence and trauma.
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