Development of a Family Intervention to Address Drug Use and HIV in Vietnam

Vietnam is currently experiencing two epidemics -- injection drug use and HIV. HIV infection is rising rapidly, primarily among injecting drug users (IDUs). Most young IDUs keep daily contact with their family or live in their parent's home. The burden on their families is substantial, and even greater if the IDU is HIV+. In this study, the investigators conduct an intervention pilot to develop and evaluate a family intervention to improve outcomes over time for Vietnamese IDUs and their families. This two-year study is conducted in Phu Tho, a province located about 80 km from Hanoi, Vietnam's capital. Two teams with complementary expertise collaborate to implement this study: the UCLA team and the Vietnamese team from the Vietnam National Institute of Hygiene \& Epidemiology (NIHE). The study has two phases: * In Phase 1, the investigators develop the content, format and an implementation plan for the intervention from a focus group of 10 service providers, administrators and community leaders, and through in-depth interviews with 40 IDUs (20 HIV+ and 20 HIV-) recruited from the local drug rehabilitation center (the "06 Center") and from two local communities (Duu Lau and Gia Cam), as well as in-depth interviews with 20 of the IDUs family members (FM). Based on the findings, the investigators collaborate on designing a Vietnamese-specific family intervention for IDUs and their family members. * In Phase 2, the investigators pilot the intervention in the local commune health centers in Viet Tri, Phu Tho. Eighty IDUs (HIV+/HIV-) and 80 of their family members are recruited from 4 communes and the 06 Center in Viet Tri city, and randomized into a intervention group and a control group. After the 4-week intervention, 3-month and 6-month follow-ups are conducted to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. Participants randomized to the control group only complete the assessments (baseline, 3-, and 6-month) at the same time points.