Reducing HIV misconceptions and increasing implementation intentions for condom use

Approximately 36% of HIV cases are related to substance abuse. Substance abusers are high-risk for contracting HIV due to risky behaviors, including unprotected sex. Due to these behavioral and infection risks, it is imperative to develop feasible interventions that focus on condom use within this population. This study evaluated a 1-hour intervention intended to reduce HIV misconceptions and increase implementation intentions to use condoms in 143 participants in drug diversion programs. Implementation intentions are situation-linked action plans, found effective in previous research. This intervention was kept to 1 hour to maximize the likelihood of widespread dissemination. Participants were randomized at the individual level to either control or experimental conditions. The HIV survey included 9 common misconceptions and a new implementation intention scale. Results indicated that the experimental group was less likely to believe 4 of 9 misconceptions and was more likely to report stronger implementation intentions to use condoms. This intervention is unique because it indicates that short, easy to disseminate HIV interventions can be effective for reducing misconceptions and increasing implementation intentions to use condoms in a high-risk population. Further, it indicates that the new implementation intention measures created for this study could be useful for future studies.