HIV Prevention Among At-risk Latinos in the Heartland

Medical College of Wisconsin

Status: Invitation-only

Conditions: HIV Infections

Treatments: Diagnostic Test: HIV counseling and testing; Behavioral: Network intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT04563715

32961

R01MH116787 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study is a randomized controlled trial that evaluates the efficacy of a network intervention to promote regular HIV testing and prevention (risk reduction and PrEP awareness and referrals) among friendship networks of Latino men who have sex with men and transwomen (LMSMT) in three mid sized Midwestern cities.

Full description

To benefit from early HIV diagnosis, the CDC suggests that groups at higher HIV risk get tested regularly. The study will evaluate the efficacy of an intervention to promote regular HIV testing and prevention (risk reduction and PrEP awareness and referrals) among friendship networks of Latino men who have sex with men and transwomen (LMSMT) in three midsized Midwestern cities. The intervention uses the relationships that permeate networks of LMSMT by training well-positioned members to encourage a collective response to the epidemic and to disseminate HIV testing and prevention messages and resources within the network. Thus, we will (a) recruit 36 friendship networks of LMSMT in Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Indianapolis (N ≈ 432); (b) test them for HIV and recommend that they test regularly; (c) invite key members of 18 randomly selected networks to a 4-session training to promote regular HIV testing and prevention in their networks; (d) conduct chart reviews to verify regular testing and PrEP visits and assess regular testing, PrEP visits, and risk behavior and mediators at 6, 12 and 18-month follow up.

Enrollment: 456 estimated patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Latinx men who have sex with men or transgender women 18 or more years of age.
• Lives in the Milwaukee, Cleveland or Indianapolis area.
• Can provide informed consent.
• Additional inclusion criteria for networks: 80% or more of the network is of Latinx descent.

Exclusion criteria

• Cis-gender female.
• Did not have sex with men or identify as homosexual or bisexual.
• Cannot provide consent.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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456 participants in 2 patient groups

Standard of Care

Active Comparator group

Description:

HIV counseling and testing

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: HIV counseling and testing

Standard of Care plus Network Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Network intervention

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: HIV counseling and testing

Behavioral: Network intervention