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Efficacy of an HIV/STI Prevention Intervention for Black Men Who Have Sex with Men: Findings from the Many Men, Many Voices (3MV) Project

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Abstract

Black men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States experience disproportionately high rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs); however, the number of evidence-based interventions for Black MSM is limited. This study evaluated the efficacy of Many Men, Many Voices (3MV), a small-group HIV/STI prevention intervention developed by Black MSM-serving community-based organizations and a university-based HIV/STI prevention and training program. The study sample included 338 Black MSM of HIV-negative or unknown HIV serostatus residing in New York city. Participants were randomly assigned to the 3MV intervention condition (n = 164) or wait-list comparison condition (n = 174). Relative to comparison participants, 3MV participants reported significantly greater reductions in any unprotected anal intercourse with casual male partners; a trend for consistent condom use during receptive anal intercourse with casual male partners; and significantly greater reductions in the number of male sex partners and greater increases in HIV testing. This study is the first randomized trial to demonstrate the efficacy of an HIV/STI prevention intervention for Black MSM.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this evaluation study was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to People of Color in Crisis (POCC), Inc. under cooperative agreements U65/CCU224517 and U65/CCU223830. This study was registered on Clinical Trials. gov (NCT00137631). The authors would like to acknowledge other members of the 3MV Evaluation Team who helped make this study possible: LaRon E. Nelson (Center for Health and Behavioral Training, University of Rochester Medical Center) and project staff at POCC. At the time of this study, Gary English was the Executive Director of POCC and Michael Roberson and Basil Lucus were staff members of POCC. The authors would also like to thank the following individuals for their many contributions to this study: Peter McGrath (Center for Health and Behavioral Training, University of Rochester Medical Center), Duane Moody (Northrop Grumman Mission Systems), Sima Rama (Manila Consulting), Sekhar R. Thadiparthi (Satyam Computer Services Limited), and Kenneth Jones, April Bankston, Cynthia M. Lyles, the late Ida M. Onorato, David Purcell, Pilgrim Spikes, Ron Stall, and Richard J. Wolitski (CDC).

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The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Development, College of Community and Public Affairs, State University of New York at Binghamton, P.O. Box 6000, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA

    Leo Wilton

  2. Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Jeffrey H. Herbst, Thomas M. Painter, Maria E. Alvarez, Wayne D. Johnson & James W. Carey

  3. Department of Medicine, Center for Health and Behavioral Training, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA

    Patricia Coury-Doniger & Maureen Scahill

  4. People of Color in Crisis, Inc., Brooklyn, NY, USA

    Gary English, Michael A. Roberson & Basil Lucas

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  1. Leo Wilton
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Correspondence to Leo Wilton.

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Wilton, L., Herbst, J.H., Coury-Doniger, P. et al. Efficacy of an HIV/STI Prevention Intervention for Black Men Who Have Sex with Men: Findings from the Many Men, Many Voices (3MV) Project. AIDS Behav 13, 532–544 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-009-9529-y

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