242572 Comparison of Strategies to Increase HIV Testing Among African American Men Who Have Sex with Men (AA MSM)

Monday, October 31, 2011

Chanza Baytop, MPH, DrPH , Domestic Health Division, Abt Associates, Inc., Bethesda, MD
Scott Royal, PhD , Abt Associates Inc., Bethesda, MD
Rebecca Tregerman, BA , Abt Associates, Inc., Bethesda, MD
Ron Simmons, PhD , Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc., Washington, D.C., DC
Donna H. McCree, PhD, MPH, RPh , National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
ISSUE: A 2008 study conducted in 21 major US cites found that 19% of MSM were infected with HIV and 44% were unaware of their status; 28% of HIV+ men in this study were African American. These results highlight the need for strategies to identify and motivate AA MSM to be tested for HIV and linked to appropriate services. This session will present results from a study comparing the outcomes of Partner Counseling and Referral Services (PCRS), Social Network Strategy (SNS) and Alternate Venue Testing (AVT) for motivating previously undiagnosed HIV+ AA MSM to be tested for HIV.

DESCRIPTION: This study adapted the SNS for AA MSM and integrated it into an existing testing program at a Washington DC community-based organization that included AVT and PCRS. In SNS, HIV+ or high-risk negative persons are enlisted as recruiters to identify others in their social networks for referral to HIV testing.

LESSONS LEARNED: A total of 532 men were tested from June 2008 through February 2009. Among those tested through PCRS (n=171), 11% tested HIV+ compared to 12% among those tested through SNS (n=153), and 6% through AVT (n=208). Of those tested through PCRS, 54% reported having had unprotected sex with a man within the last six months, compared to 81% among those tested through SNS and 47% tested through AVT.

RECOMMENDATIONS: In comparison to PCRS and AVT, SNS may be a promising approach for identifying previously undiagnosed HIV+ and high-risk negative AA MSM and reducing HIV transmission by increasing status awareness.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice

Learning Objectives:
1.Compare the relative effectiveness of three testing outreach strategies in identifying HIV positive African American men who have sex with men. 2. Assess the value of integrating Social Network Strategy at a community-based organization as a HIV testing outreach strategy for targeting high risk African American men who have sex with men (MSM).

Keywords: Evaluation, HIV Interventions

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because I served as the Principal Investigator for this study and currently oversee and manage similar studies involving program evaluation and program planning in HIV/AIDS prevention and programs to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: HIV/AIDS Priority Populations: Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) & Men Who Have Sex with Both Men and Women (MSMW)
See more of: HIV/AIDS