Reducing the sexual risk behaviors of HIV+ individuals: outcome of a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Testing behavioral interventions to increase safer sex practices of HIV+ individuals has the potential to significantly reduce the number of new infections. This study evaluated a behavioral intervention designed to reduce the sexual risk behaviors of HIV+individuals. HIV+individuals (N = 387) who reported engaging in unprotected sex with HIV- or partners of unknown serostatus were randomly assigned to (a) a single counseling session targeting problem areas identified by the participant in 3 possible intervention domains (i.e., condom use, negotiation, disclosure); (b) a single-session comprehensive intervention that covered all 3 intervention domains; (c) the same comprehensive intervention, plus 2 monthly booster sessions; or (d) a 3-session diet and exercise attention-control condition. The median number of unprotected sex acts decreased from 14 at baseline to 6, 6, and 4 at 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-ups, respectively. A repeated measures analysis of variance revealed a significant decrease in unprotected sex acts across all groups across time. A significant Group x Time interaction revealed that the comprehensive-with-boosters group had the most unprotected sex at 8-month follow-up as compared to the other 3 groups. These findings suggest that a brief intervention can result in large reductions in HIV transmission risks among HIV+individuals, but the relative benefit of one intervention approach over another remains unclear.