Changing Sexual Behavior in Gay Male Repeat HIV Testers: A Randomized Trial of a Single Session Counseling Intervention

In San Francisco, HIV infection rates among men who have tested for HIV three or more times is almost triple the HIV infection rates of all other testers. Past research has shown that HIV uninfected gay and bisexual men who receive counseling are less likely to engage in high-risk sexual behavior. Counseling provided by trained mental health professionals within a clinical study setting helped individuals identify and re-evaluate their "self-justifications," which are their thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs when deciding to engage in unprotected sex. This study will focus on implementing a "real-world" counseling intervention designed specifically for men who are at the greatest risk of becoming infected with HIV: men who engage in high-risk sexual activity with other men and who repeatedly test for HIV. This specialized intervention will be administered by trained paraprofessional counselors during a pre-test counseling session prior to an HIV test. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the specialized pre-test counseling intervention versus a standard pre-test counseling intervention in promoting safer sexual activity among HIV uninfected men. The men will have reported having unprotected sex with males of unknown HIV status or known HIV infection.

This 12-month study will enroll 300 men who will be recruited upon scheduling an anonymous HIV test at the participating clinic. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either the enhanced pre-test counseling session or a standard pre-test counseling session prior to an HIV test. Outcome measurements will be assessed 6 and 12 months after the counseling session and will include self-reports of unprotected anal sex with non-primary partners and reported satisfaction levels with the pre-test counseling.