HIV Internet Sex Study: Internet-based STI/HIV Prevention for HIV+ Internet Users (HINTS)

August 29, 2016 updated by: Dean Cruess, University of Connecticut

Internet-based STI/HIV Prevention for HIV+ Internet Users

The goal of this study was to empirically test a newly developed online HIV sexual risk reduction intervention (HINTS) among a representative sample of gay and bisexual men living with HIV who meet sex partners online.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Internet-based venues such as websites, chat rooms, blogs, and bulletin boards are becoming an increasingly popular means for HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) to meet potential sex partners. The anonymity, quickness, and convenience offered by online venues allows for numerous potential sex partners to be identified and screened with the possibility to meet in person. However, there are potential health hazards associated with meeting sex partners online, including an increased risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and thus there is an urgent need for online behavioral interventions to help reduce STI/HIV risks associated with Internet-initiated sexual liaisons. This research involves developmental intervention studies to design and field test an online, theory-based behavioral risk reduction intervention for HIV-positive MSM who use the Internet to meet potential sex partners. Guided by the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model of health promoting behaviors the investigators will conduct 3 stages of intervention development research, as follows: (1) perform initial interviews and focus groups with HIV-positive MSM who use the Internet to meet sex partners. Stage 1 will also bring together expert and community consultants to aid in the intervention development. Based on information gained from rapid formative studies, this first stage of research will directly lead to the development a novel online theory-based sexual risk reduction intervention; (2) test the feasibility and acceptability of the newly developed online STI/HIV risk reduction intervention with a sample of HIV-positive MSM who use the Internet to meet sexual partners. Stage 2 will also involve programming an audio-computer assisted interview for data collection; and (3) conduct a randomized field test to determine the potential efficacy of the risk reduction intervention for MSM who use the Internet to potentially meet sex partners. Participants in the field test will be randomly assigned to either receive the newly developed intervention or a time-matched attention comparison condition. Stage 3 will include testing for differences between groups on behavioral risk and Internet use outcomes across a 6-month follow-up period. The investigators will also examine the intervention effects on mediating and moderating constructs of information, motivation, and behavioral skills. The proposed intervention research will therefore develop new STI/HIV prevention strategies delivered exclusively online for use with people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) who use the Internet to meet potential sex partners. The results from this study will provide preliminary data on which to conduct a larger-scale, randomized controlled clinical trial in the future.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

170

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. being over 18 years of age
  2. self-identifying as gay or bisexual
  3. living with HIV/AIDS
  4. reporting having used the Internet at least once to meet a potential sex partner
  5. reporting any history of unprotected anal sex with a male partner.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. non-fluency in English
  2. inability to participate in online group intervention

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: HINTS Intervention
The HINTS intervention consisted of an online four-session group intervention for 45 minutes, twice a week for two weeks. In each session, facilitators presented information, motivational skills, and behavioral skills related to a specific topic relevant to online partner seeking and transmission risk reduction, including Internet safety and communication, condom negotiation, and serostatus disclosure.
Behavioral: HINTS Intervention
HINTS is a four-session, group-based behavioral intervention delivered exclusively online and developed using the IMB model of health behavior change focused on sexual risk reduction.
Active Comparator: Healthy Living Control
The Healthy Living Control condition consisted of an online four-session group intervention for 45 minutes, twice a week for two weeks. In each session, facilitators presented information, motivational skills, and behavioral skills to address non-sexual health-related topics particularly relevant to individuals living with HIV, such as nutrition, healthy eating, portion control, exercise and staying active, and stress reduction.
Behavioral: Healthy Living Control
The Healthy Living Control is a four-session, group-based behavioral intervention delivered exclusively online and developed using the IMB model of health behavior change focused on non-sexual health topics.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Sexual risk behavior, such as condomless anal sex with sexual partners, will be assessed via a self-report survey. Data will be aggregated and reported as counts or occurrences.
Time Frame: 6 months
6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Connecticut

Collaborators

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Dean G Cruess, PhD, University of Connecticut

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

December 1, 2010

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 1, 2013

Study Completion (Actual)

November 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 24, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 29, 2016

First Posted (Estimate)

September 2, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

September 2, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 29, 2016

Last Verified

August 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • H10-217
  • R34MH087120 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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