A Behavioral Intervention Reduces HIV Transmission Risk by Promoting Sustained Serosorting Practices Among HIV-Infected Men Who Have Sex With Men

The goal of the current study was to examine factors that explain the effect of a cognitive-behavioral intervention, the Healthy Living Project, on HIV transmission risk reductions among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM).

A total of 1,910 HIV-positive MSM were screened. Of these, 616 considered to be at risk of transmitting HIV were randomized to a 15-session, individually delivered cognitive-behavioral intervention (n=301) or a wait-list control (n=315).

"Consistent with previous intent-to-treat findings, an overall reduction in transmission risk acts was observed among MSM in the intervention and control arms," the authors reported. They found significant intervention effects at the five-, 10-, 15- and 20-month assessments (risk ratios=0.78, 0.62, 0.48 and 0.38, respectively). These intervention-related declines in HIV transmission risk acts appeared in part due to sustained serosorting practices. MSM in the intervention group reported a significantly greater proportion of HIV-positive sex partners at the five- and 10-month assessments (risk ratios=1.14 and 1.18).

The authors concluded that the Healthy Living Project is efficacious in reducing HIV transmission risk acts among MSM. "This seems to have been due in large part to the fact that MSM in the intervention condition reported sustained serosorting practices," they wrote.

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