EVALUATION OF AN HIV RISK REDUCTION INTERVENTION AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICAN HOMOSEXUAL AND BISEXUAL MEN

Objective: To provide the first data which evaluates an HIV risk reduc tion intervention designed to reduce HIV high-risk sexual behavior in African-American homosexual and bisexual men. Subjects: Participants ( n = 318) were recruited from bars, bathhouses, and erotic bookstores, and through homosexual African-American organizations, street outreach , media advertisements, and personal referrals of individuals aware of the study. Methods: Participants were randomized into a single or tri ple session experimental group or a wait-list control group. Both expe rimental interventions included AIDS risk education, cognitive-behavio ral self-management training, assertion training, and attempts to deve lop self-identity and social support. Data collection involved assessm ents of self-reported changes in sexual behavior at 12- and 18-month f ollow-up. Results: Participants in the triple session intervention gre atly reduced their frequency of unprotected anal intercourse (from 46 to 20%) at the 12-month follow-up evaluation and (from 45% to 20%) at the 18-month follow-up evaluation. However, levels of risky behavior f or the control group remained constant (from 26 to 23% and from 24 to 18%) at 12- and 18-month follow-up evaluations, respectively. In addit ion, levels of risky behavior for the single session intervention decr eased only slightly (from 47 to 38% and from 50 to 38%) at the 12- and 18-month follow-up evaluations, respectively. Conclusions: Results we re interpreted to demonstrate the superiority of a triple session over a single session intervention in reducing risky sexual behavior in th is cohort.