HIV Prevention Among Vulnerable Male Youth
Condition: Homosexuality, Male; HIV; Substance-related Disorders; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological
MeSH terms: Substance-Related Disorders; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This exploratory study aims to design and test an HIV prevention intervention for young men
      who have sex with men (MSM) between the ages of 16-20 as this group comprises the US
      adolescent population most at-risk for HIV infection through sexual contact. To help develop
      the content and format of our intervention we will first conduct in-depth interviews with
      twenty-one 18 to 24 year-old young MSM who acquired HIV through male-to-male sexual contact
      between ages 16-20 (i.e., the target age of our intended intervention). We will then design a
      group-based primary intervention for young MSM between ages 16-20, relying on the information
      we gathered from these interviews, as well as consultation from an advisory board of young
      MSM and HIV prevention experts. Last, we will use an experimental design to compare our
      intervention to a control condition. We hypothesize that, relative to a control condition of
      sexual health education and risk reduction, participants in our intervention will demonstrate
      lower rates of HIV risk behavior, find participation more feasible, and endorse greater
      acceptability of our intervention.
    

Detailed description: 
      The purpose of this three year study is to develop and then test the feasibility and
      acceptability of a uniquely targeted HIV risk reduction intervention for young men who have
      sex with men (MSM), ages 16 to 20, at risk for HIV acquisition or transmission. In year one,
      the preliminary components of a primary prevention intervention for young MSM aged 16-20 will
      result from the findings of qualitative interviews conducted among a multiethnic sample of 21
      young MSM (aged 18-24) who acquired HIV through male-to-male sexual contact between ages
      16-20. In year two, a preliminary primary prevention intervention curriculum will be
      completed and subsequently refined through community advisory board review. In year three,
      the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention will be tested in a two-arm randomized
      controlled trial in a community-based agency with excellent access to and research experience
      with the population. We will enroll 100 at-risk young MSM ages 16-20; two-thirds of the
      sample (N=66)will be randomized to the intervention condition while one-third (N=34) will be
      randomized to the time-matched attention control condition and receive standard health
      promotion information in a group-based format. Sexual risk will be assessed at baseline, 6,
      and 12 weeks post-intervention. The specific aims of this exploratory study are: 1) to design
      an HIV and substance use primary prevention program for 16-20 year-old urban,
      ethnically-diverse YMSM; 2) to pilot test and refine study methods; 3) to test the revised
      multi-ethnic intervention with 100 young YMSM and examine preliminary effects on risky sexual
      behavior, alcohol/drug use, and psychosocial intermediate outcomes specified by our
      theoretical framework in preparation for a large-scale, efficacy study. An additional
      exploratory aim is to describe the prevalence of HIV and STIs in the community recruited
      sample.
    

Intervention name(s): MyPeeps Manualized Group Intervention; Standard Sexual Health Education
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Topics include: HIV/STI transmission, interpersonal communication, stigma management, condom use, substance use and risky sex, HIV-related harm reduction; Topics include: HIV/STI transmission facts, myths regarding HIV transmission, information on effectiveness of condom use
Other intervention name(s): MyPeeps Intervention; Sexual health education-as-usual
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: HIV infection