@article{d5bd5b3c745e4d8a84c1e849d475f7ef,
title = "Safety and acceptability of couples HIV testing and counseling for us men who have sex with men: A randomized prevention study",
abstract = "We tested a couples HIV testing and counseling (CHTC) intervention with male couples in Atlanta by randomizing eligible couples to receive either CHTC or separate individual voluntary HIV counseling and testing (iVCT). To evaluate the acceptability and safety of CHTC, main outcomes were satisfaction with the intervention and the proportions of couples reporting intimate partner violence (IPV) and relationship dissolution after the service. The results indicated that the service was very acceptable to men (median 7-item index of satisfaction was 34 for CHTC and 35 for iVCT, P =.4). There was no difference in either incident IPV (22% versus 17% for CHTC and iVCT, respectively, P =.6) or relationship dissolution (42% versus 51% for CHTC and iVCT, respectively, P =.5). Based on the preliminary data, CHTC is safe for male couples, and it is equally acceptable to iVCT for men who have main partners.",
keywords = "HIV, male couples, men who have sex with men, testing services",
author = "Sullivan, {Patrick S.} and Darcy White and Rosenberg, {Eli S.} and Jasper Barnes and Jeb Jones and Sharoda Dasgupta and Brandon O'Hara and Lamont Scales and Salazar, {Laura F.} and Gina Wingood and Ralph Diclemente and Wall, {Kristin M.} and Colleen Hoff and Beau Gratzer and Susan Allen and Rob Stephenson",
note = "Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (grant number R34-MH086331), the Emory Center for AIDS Research (grant number P30-AI050409), and the MAC AIDS Fund. Funding Information: Despite these limitations, our study provides important information as part of a systematic and progressive evaluation of the adapted CHTC service for male couples in the United States. Formally assessing acceptability and safety are key steps in deciding whether an intervention should move forward for further programmatic scale-up or further research. There is currently great attention to HIV testing as the gateway to clinical evaluation and viral suppression. At the same time, CDC recommends that MSM at high risk for HIV should test for HIV more often than annually. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recognizes CHTC as a high-priority HIV prevention strategy for the United States and is supporting training, implementation, and technical assistance for all types of couples (personal communication, Kristina Grabbe, CDC, May 29, 2013). The CHTC service is also consistent with National HIV/AIDS Strategy goals and has been supported for dissemination through CDC{\textquoteright}s MSM Testing Initiative and the Enhanced Comprehensive HIV Prevention Planning (ECHPP) Project. ",
year = "2014",
doi = "10.1177/2325957413500534",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "13",
pages = "135--144",
journal = "Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care",
issn = "2325-9574",
publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",
number = "2",
}