Social Networks and Prevention for HIV Care and Prevention
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | HIV / AIDS |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Immunology / Infectious Diseases |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - Any |
| Updated: | 7/19/2018 |
| Start Date: | July 30, 2011 |
| End Date: | July 2017 |
A Randomized Controlled Trial to Train Black MSM as Peer Health Educators for HIV Testing and Prevention
The present study includes a randomized clinical trial of a peer health education
intervention and a 12-month longitudinal study. The sample will include Black Men who have
Sex with Men (MSM) who will be randomized into an experimental or control condition and then
asked to recruit peer and risk network members for HIV testing over a 3 month period. Some of
the network members who are recruited for voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) will enroll
into the longitudinal study for assessments only. Both index and network participants will be
assessed at baseline, 6, and 12-months.
The specific aims of the proposed study are to:
1. Train Black MSM (index participants in the experimental condition) to conduct peer
health education, to promote VCT and HIV risk reduction among social network members,
and to recruit social network members for VCT.
2. Examine changes in HIV risk behaviors and VCT among index participants and their network
members in the experimental intervention as compared to those in the control condition.
3. Examine mediating effects of social environments (networks, social norms) on HIV risk
behaviors and VCT, among indexes and network members.
4. Examine mediating effects of individual level factors (substance use and depression) on
HIV risk behaviors and VCT among indexes and network members.
intervention and a 12-month longitudinal study. The sample will include Black Men who have
Sex with Men (MSM) who will be randomized into an experimental or control condition and then
asked to recruit peer and risk network members for HIV testing over a 3 month period. Some of
the network members who are recruited for voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) will enroll
into the longitudinal study for assessments only. Both index and network participants will be
assessed at baseline, 6, and 12-months.
The specific aims of the proposed study are to:
1. Train Black MSM (index participants in the experimental condition) to conduct peer
health education, to promote VCT and HIV risk reduction among social network members,
and to recruit social network members for VCT.
2. Examine changes in HIV risk behaviors and VCT among index participants and their network
members in the experimental intervention as compared to those in the control condition.
3. Examine mediating effects of social environments (networks, social norms) on HIV risk
behaviors and VCT, among indexes and network members.
4. Examine mediating effects of individual level factors (substance use and depression) on
HIV risk behaviors and VCT among indexes and network members.
The primary objective of this funded research is to conduct a randomized controlled trial of
an experimental behavioral intervention that will train African American men who have sex
with men (AA MSM) to 1) conduct peer health education, 2) to promote HIV risk reduction among
their social network members, 3) promote HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) among
their social network members and 4) recruit social network members for VCT. Index
participants are African American/Black men who have sex with men (MSM) who are randomized to
either a peer education intervention or comparison condition. After the baseline is complete,
index participants refer social network members (i.e. network participants) to the research
clinic for HIV antibody testing. In addition, a subset of network participants participate in
the longitudinal portion of the study.
an experimental behavioral intervention that will train African American men who have sex
with men (AA MSM) to 1) conduct peer health education, 2) to promote HIV risk reduction among
their social network members, 3) promote HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) among
their social network members and 4) recruit social network members for VCT. Index
participants are African American/Black men who have sex with men (MSM) who are randomized to
either a peer education intervention or comparison condition. After the baseline is complete,
index participants refer social network members (i.e. network participants) to the research
clinic for HIV antibody testing. In addition, a subset of network participants participate in
the longitudinal portion of the study.
Inclusion Criteria:
Eligibility criteria for indexes include: (a) sex with a male partner within the prior 90
days; (b) self-reported Black or African American race/ethnicity; (c) self-reported
biological male sex at birth; (d) identify as male; (e) unprotected vaginal or anal sex
within the prior 90 days; (f) age 18 or older; (g) willingness to attend intervention
sessions; (h) willingness to discuss HIV prevention and encourage VCT among network
members; (i) reside in Baltimore city or a surrounding counties; (j) not planning on moving
from Baltimore city or a surrounding county within the next year; (k) not involved in a
behavioral intervention for HIV prevention within the prior five years.
Eligibility for network members for receiving VCT: (a) Provide a study coupon to verify
that they were referred by an index participant and (b) age 18 or older.
Eligibility criteria for network members enrolling in the longitudinal study: (a) age 18 or
older; (b) recruited by index participant and engaged in VCT at our clinic; (c) was either
a current sex partner of index (male or female)or a Black MSM peer (as operationalized as
self-reported black or African American and reporting sex with a man in the prior 90 days)
and (d) had one of the following risk behaviors in the prior 90 days: unprotected vaginal
or anal sex, diagnosed STI, or had sex with 2 or more people.
Exclusion Criteria:
Exclusion criteria for indexes include being previously enrolled in the study as a network
participant.
Exclusion criteria for network participants include being previously enrolled in the study
as an index participant.
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