Russian Federation (2006): HIV/AIDS TRaC Study among Street-Based Female Sex Workers in Samara and Saratov First Round

The main objective of this study is to provide a baseline measurement of selected health behaviors, their determinants, and exposure to PSI programming among street-based female sex workers (SW) in Saratov, including Engels and Balakovo, and in Samara and Togliatti; these are also the main sites for HIV prevention projects among SW being implemented by PSI. The results from this assessment are to be utilized in several ways: (1) to serve as a baseline to the evaluation of PSI activities under the PreventAIDS program conducted among sex workers in these regions (2) to communicate the results and lessons learned to other stakeholders (e.g., collaborating NGO), and (3) to disseminate lessons learned to a wider audience, e.g., interested governmental institutions, international agencies working with this population, etc. The study employs a pre and post-test design, with the 2006 survey to be considered as pretest. PSI Russia has conducted several studies among SW in 2000, 2002 and 2004; however, due to a change in sampling strategies (from convenience samples in 2000-04, to probability-based sample in 2006) statistical comparisons between the studies is not appropriate. Nonetheless, given that earlier studies touched upon the same range of issues, their findings provide reference points to be considered in interpreting the results of this survey. This study is premised on a stratified single-stage cluster sampling approach in each geographic area of interest. Sample size was calculated for both Samara and Saratov separately; within each region, the sample size was proportiona lly allocated to sub-regions (Samara city and Togliatti; Saratov city, Engles and Balakovo). Furthermore, the number of respondents to be selected from each cluster was defined proportional to cluster size. Both in Samara and Saratov regions the estimates were calculated as a part of mapping exercise during which local NGO-partners listed places where street-based SWs congregate along with the estimated number of SWs by each location. The mapping was conducted just before the survey, in May-June 2006. Later, the list of enumeration areas obtained through this mapping was used as a sampling frame for this study.