Peer-driven Intervention to Seek, Test & Treat Heterosexuals at High Risk for HIV

Approximately 21% of HIV infections in the U.S. are undiagnosed, but only about 40% of all
adults have been tested. Thus, late diagnosis of HIV is common, and, furthermore, treatment
delays and disruptions are widespread. Heterosexuals at high risk (HHR) are significantly
less likely to test for HIV, are more likely to be diagnosed with HIV late, and experience
serious barriers to entering care compared to other groups. Our research team has studied
HHR in New York City (NYC) as part of the CDC's National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS)
studies. The investigators found an HIV prevalence rate of 7.4% among HHR in NYC, and only
6% of these infections had been previously diagnosed. Further, in central Brooklyn, 10% were
newly diagnosed with HIV. The proposed study will use NHBS methodology to target HHR.
Reduced rates of HIV testing and treatment among HHR are due to structural (e.g., poor
access), social (e.g., peer norms), and individual-level (e.g., low perceived risk)
barriers. Thus active recruitment approaches modeled after NHBS are needed to overcome
structural barriers, and peer-delivered interventions effectively reduce individual and
social barriers to testing and treatment. The primary goal of the proposed study is to
evaluate the efficacy of a multi-level enhanced peer-driven intervention (PDI) to seek,
test, treat and retain HHR. The enhanced PDI is tailored specifically for HHR and includes
computerized, navigation, and peer-delivered components to enhance future sustainability.
The design of the intervention is guided by the Theories of Triadic Influence and Normative
Regulation. Similar to NHBS, the enhanced PDI will use respondent-driven sampling (RDS).
NHBS protocols use both venue-based sampling (VBS) and RDS for reaching populations at high
risk. However, VBS and RDS have not yet been directly compared in terms of their yield of
undiagnosed HIV infections. Thus the specific aims of this five-year proposed study are to:
(1) compare the yield and efficiency of RDS and VBS to identify undiagnosed HIV infection
among HHR; (2) measure the efficacy of an enhanced PDI compared to a control in terms of
time to HIV care and HAART initiation, viral load suppression, and retention among those
newly-diagnosed; (3) examine whether the effects of the PDI on HIV health/treatment outcomes
are mediated by changes in individual (e.g., perceived risk), social (e.g., peer norms), and
structural influences (e.g., enhanced access), and/or whether other factors (e.g., substance
use) moderate its effects; and (4) to project the costs and cost-effectiveness of RDS vs.
VBS and PDI.

The investigators will conduct the enhanced PDI (N=3000) in central Brooklyn, a location
hyperendemic for HIV and where HHR experience poor access to testing and treatment.
Simultaneously, VBS (N=400) will be undertaken in central Brooklyn. The proposed study
complements local and national HIV prevention initiatives and is designed to contribute an
efficient, innovative, and sustainable multi-level recruitment approach and intervention to
the HIV prevention portfolio. The vast majority of HHR are African-American or Latino;
therefore the proposed study may also impact racial/ethnic disparities in HIV/AIDS.

The study's main hypotheses are as follows:

(H1): Compared with venue-based sampling (VBS), and controlling for potential differences on
key sociodemographic characteristics across the samples, participants recruited by
respondent-driven sampling (RDS) will be more likely to test positive for HIV for the first
time.

H2): Participants in the Test and Treat Phase of the BCAP PDI's intervention arm (all of
whom will be HIV-infected) will evidence a shorter time to an HIV clinical appointment, a
shorter time to initiating HAART (when medically indicated), higher rates of viral load
suppression, and higher rates of retention in care compared to those in the control arm.

Inclusion Criteria:

- aged 18-60 years

- sexually active (vaginal, anal) with at least 1 opposite sex partner within the
previous year

- reside in the central Brooklyn HRA defined in the Development Phase

- African-American or Latino/Hispanic race/ethnicity

- comprehend English or Spanish

- willing to provide locator information

- willing to try to recruit peers

- not actively psychotic based on valid screening instrument

- not a participant in the two past NHBS studies with HHR (called HET1/HET2); not
enrolled already in VBS or PDI/RDS in this study

- willing to be randomly assigned to intervention arm (initial seeds only, for PDI
component)