RUSSIA (2009): HIV PREVENTION STUDY OF INJECTING DRUG USERS (IDUs) IN ST. PETERSBURG AND EKATERINBURG, THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. ROUND ONE

The purpose of the 2009 survey among injecting drug users (IDUs) in St. Petersburg and Ekaterinburg was to collect baseline data on HIV-related practices, knowledge, and awareness of IDUs on HIV risks, their HIV-risk and health-seeking behaviors, determinants of behavior and exposure to PSI activities. Both in Ekaterinburg and St. Petersburg respondents were recruited through respondent-driven sampling (RDS). It was recommended to select representatives of various sub-groups of IDUs, i.e. males and females; employed and unemployed; clients and non-clients of HIV prevention projects. The length of experience with injecting drug use is also a criterion for IDU to be selected as a seed for this study. In total, 702 IDUs, who have been involved in injecting behavior during the past year, were interviewed. Respondents were recruited and interviewed with assistance from local NGOs. Interviewers from NGOs were supervised and the collected data cleaned and put into electronic format by the WorkLine Research, professional survey agency