POSSE Project: A Community-Level Intervention for Black YMSM
Condition: HIV/AIDS and Infections
MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; HIV Infections
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Black young men who have sex with men (BYMSM) are at high risk for contracting and
      transmitting HIV, and represent a priority population for developing effective interventions.
      Within the House Ball community (HBC), a clandestine subculture of the Black gay community,
      HIV is highly stigmatized. This stigma, coupled with high HIV prevalence rates and elevated
      levels of undiagnosed/untreated HIV infection, places BYMSM in HBCs at incredible risk for
      HIV infection. Community-level interventions that target social norms, behavior, and stigma
      in the HBC are sorely needed in order to make a broader impact among BYMSM. Building on prior
      work in the community, this study proposes to launch an innovative
      Effectiveness-Implementation Hybrid Type 2 trial to examine the effectiveness and
      implementation of a community-level HIV prevention intervention (called POSSE) based on
      popular opinion leader (POL) models across two cities with similar HBCs, Chicago and
      Philadelphia. The proposed study has two specific aims: 1) To determine the effectiveness of
      a POL intervention, POSSE, to decrease sexual risk behavior (UAI), STIs and HIV stigma among
      BYMSM in the HBC; and 2) To evaluate the processes, strategies, barriers and facilitators for
      the implementation of POSSE delivered across two distinct metropolitan areas with high HIV
      prevalence among BYMSM and similar House Ball Communities. To examine these aims, the
      investigators will first use social network strategies to identify, screen, and recruit POLs
      (n=75) from the Philadelphia HBC. The investigators will then gather baseline behavioral and
      biological (HIV/STI testing) data in both Chicago and Philadelphia (n=100 BYMSM per city) and
      train the Philadelphia POLs to implement the POSSE intervention. The investigators will
      conduct an implementation-focused process evaluation to assess fidelity to the POSSE
      intervention; number, content, spread, and acceptability of risk reduction messages; age
      appropriateness of the messages; acceptability of the overall intervention; and
      barriers/facilitators to implementation. Next, the investigators will complete follow-up
      assessments every 6 months post- intervention in both cities (n=100 BYMSM per city at each
      assessment point). The investigators will also assess behavior change in those delivering the
      intervention (POLs) at each assessment point. The investigators will conduct
      implementation-focused qualitative interviews with POLs (n=15) and community participants
      (n=30) from Philadelphia. Last, the investigators will implement POSSE in Chicago by
      repeating the steps outlined above, continuing assessments in both cities, and conducting
      qualitative interviews in Chicago.
    


Intervention name(s): POSSE
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Popular-opinion leader
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention