A Group-level Intervention to Reduce HIV/STI Risk for Women Who Have Sex With Women in Calgary and Toronto

University of Toronto

Status

Completed

Conditions

Safer Sex

Treatments

Behavioral: A group-based HIV/STI prevention intervention for women who have sex with women

Behavioral: Adapted Many Men, Many Voices (3MV) group level intervention

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT02067845

CIHR SRC - 4487453

Details and patient eligibility

About

The limited research that exists suggests that lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ) women are at similar risk for sexually transmitted infections (STI) as heterosexual women. This is a particularly important area to address, as literature highlights the convergence of sexual stigma and gender-based sexual violence as elevating LBQ women's risk for HIV and STI infection. However, recent Statistics Canada data indicated that: lesbians reported significantly lower rates of Pap testing than heterosexual or bisexual women; lesbians and bisexual women had higher odds of not having a regular doctor than heterosexual women; and bisexual women had higher reported unmet health care needs than lesbian and heterosexual women. These differences highlight the importance of implementing and evaluating interventions to address STI risk among LBQ women; however, no published study exists of this nature. A STI prevention intervention will be implemented with groups of LBQ women and WSW in Toronto and Calgary. The study has 5 distinct components: 1) key informant interviews to inform the development of the intervention training manual and survey questionnaire, 2) pre-test; 3) intervention (6 group sessions during a weekend retreat); 4) post-test directly following intervention, and 5) follow-up post-tests at 6 and 12 weeks. The study hypothesis is that, compared to pre-intervention, participants who receive the group-based intervention will report an increase in sexually transmitted infections (STI) knowledge post-intervention. The secondary hypotheses are that, compared with pre-intervention, participants will demonstrate higher mean scores of (a) safer sex self-efficacy; (b) STI testing; (c) safer sex practices; (d) resilient coping, (e) self-esteem, (f) social provisions, (g) community connectedness and (h) access to health care. We anticipated that compared to pre-intervention, participants post-intervention would report lower mean scores of (a) depression and (b) internalized stigma.

Full description

This is a single-centre pragmatic N-of-1 pilot study. The target population is LBQ women in Calgary and Toronto, Canada. The authors aim to recruit 40 participants using purposive peer-driven recruitment methods. LBQ women from agencies that serve LBQ women will deliver the intervention. A survey will be conducted at pre and post-intervention to evaluate the impact of the intervention. Paired-sample t-tests will be used to assess pre- and post- intervention differences in sexual risk behaviour outcomes (safer sex practices, safer sex self-efficacy), protective factors (resilient coping, HIV/STI knowledge and testing) and social-structural determinants (social support, access to health care, internalized sexual stigma) directly following the intervention and 3 months post-intervention. Logistic and linear generalized estimating equation (GEE) regression models will be used to assess intervention effects for the follow-up period of 3 months to control for repeated within-subject measurements.

Enrollment

44 patients

Sex

Female

Ages

18+ years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Self-identified lesbian, bisexual, queer, or women who have sex with women
Over 18 years old who
Are capable of providing informed consent
Are interested in attending a weekend retreat with 6 group sessions and 3 month follow up
Live in the greater Calgary and Toronto area.

Exclusion criteria