The male factor: Outcomes from a cluster randomized field experiment with a couples-based HIV prevention intervention in a South African township
Wendee M Wechsberg, William A Zule, Nabila El-Bassel, Irene A Doherty, Alexandra M Minnis, Scott D Novak, Bronwyn Myers, Tara Carney, Wendee M Wechsberg, William A Zule, Nabila El-Bassel, Irene A Doherty, Alexandra M Minnis, Scott D Novak, Bronwyn Myers, Tara Carney
Abstract
Background: This study examined the effects of the Couples Health CoOp intervention on heavy drinking, condom use, and HIV incidence.
Methods: Thirty neighborhoods from one South African township were cluster randomized into three intervention arms: Couples Health CoOp (CHC), Women's Health CoOp/Men's Health CoOp (WHC/MHC), or a comparison arm. We recruited 290 men from informal drinking establishments who reported drinking alcohol regularly. We also recruited their main heterosexual sex partners.
Results: At 6-month follow-up, men in the CHC arm were less likely to report heavy drinking (OR 0.47, 95% CI: 0.25, 0.90) and were more likely to report consistent condom use during the past month (OR 2.66, 95% CI: 1.23, 5.76) than men in the comparison arm. At baseline, 26% of women and 13% of men were HIV-infected; at 6-month follow-up, 16 females and 5 males had seroconverted. HIV incidence was significantly lower among women in the CHC arm (IRR 0.22, 95% CI: 0.04, 1.01) than in the WHC/MHC arm.
Conclusions: A couples-based intervention focusing on intersecting risks for HIV can improve biobehavioral outcomes, underscoring the importance of engaging couples together in HIV prevention.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01121692.
Keywords: Alcohol use; Condom use; Couples intervention outcomes; HIV incidence; HIV prevention; South Africa.
Conflict of interest statement
Conflict of interest statement
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Source: PubMed