1. STUDY PURPOSE AND RATIONALE. This study is a 2-arm randomized control clinical trial (RCT), Project Ascension, that will evaluate the efficacy of a combined 4-session HIV risk reduction and microfinance intervention (including 6 sessions of financial literacy skills; referral to a 36 session vocational training; and concurrent weekly matched savings from the research team) (HIVRR+MF) to reduce new HIV/STI infections and sexual and drug risk among women who inject drugs and trade sex in Temirtau and Pavlodar, Kazakhstan. The primary outcomes are to decrease new STIs, including HIV and HCV, proportion of unprotected sexual acts and proportion of income from sex work. Secondary outcomes include examining mediating and moderating factors, the examine women's experience of the intervention and cost effectiveness of the addition of MF over HIVRR alone on primary outcomes.