MedPath

Helping Men Have Healthy Babies

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
HIV Prevention
HIV/AIDS
Interventions
Behavioral: Safer Conception for Men with At Risk Partners
Registration Number
NCT03818984
Lead Sponsor
Massachusetts General Hospital
Brief Summary

Many men living with HIV (MLWH) want to have children. HIV-RNA suppression can minimize sexual HIV transmission risks while allowing for conception. The study will evaluate a safer conception intervention that leverages men's motivations to have healthy babies in order to promote serostatus disclosure and early ART initiation. The intervention is based on the investigators' Safer Conception Conceptual Framework, which considers individual, dyadic, and structural factors that affect periconception risk behavior.

Detailed Description

The study will evaluate and test a safer conception intervention that leverages men's motivations to have healthy babies in order to promote serostatus disclosure and early ART initiation. The intervention is based on a Safer Conception Conceptual Framework, which considers individual, dyadic, and structural factors that affect periconception risk behavior.

The researchers will conduct an open pilot to refine the intervention. The study will enroll men who want to have children with uninfected or unknown status female partners. Men will participate in three study sessions offering motivational interviewing and problem solving to help men develop a plan to have a healthy baby. The counseling will explore safer conception options including safe disclosure, delaying conception attempts until on ART with viral suppression, STI testing and treatment, timing condomless sex to peak fertility. The primary outcome is HIV RNA suppression at 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes include acceptability, feasibility, early ART uptake, adherence, serostatus disclosure, couples HIV counseling and testing uptake, and limiting unprotected sex to peak fertility.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
Male
Target Recruitment
28
Inclusion Criteria
  • Identifies as male
  • Not on ART, or initiated ART within the past 3 months
  • HIV-positive and status known for at least 1 (one) month,
  • in care/patient at iThembalabantu clinic
  • want to have a child in the next year,
  • with a stable sexual pregnancy partner for at least 6 months,
  • their pregnancy partner should be HIV-uninfected or HIV-status unknown,
  • their pregnancy partner should not be known to be currently pregnant,
  • have their own/ a mobile phone
  • be fluent in either English or isiZulu and,
  • able to participate in informed consent process
  • not sterilized or known to be infertile
Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Safer Conception InterventionSafer Conception for Men with At Risk PartnersMen will participate in 3 counseling sessions with a lay counselor. In the first session, the counselor will share information on the various safer conception strategies and help the participant think about developing a healthy plan. In the following 2 sessions, the counselor and the participant will work together to develop a healthy baby plan using motivational interviewing and problem solving. In the 2 booster sessions, the counselor and the participant will check in to evaluate the success of the plan and make changes as necessary.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
HIV RNA Suppression12 weeks

Proportion of men achieving HIV-RNA suppression

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Uptake of ART12 weeks

The proportion of men who initiate or continue ART

Uptake of HIV-serostatus disclosure12 weeks

The proportion of men who report disclosure of HIV serostatus to pregnancy partner

Use of timing condomless sex to peak fertility12 weeks

Through SMS surveys to assess weekly sexual behavior the study will evaluate the proportion of men who attempt to limit condomless sex to peak fertility

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