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Reduced Sexual Risk Behaviors Among People Living with HIV: Results from the Healthy Relationships Outcome Monitoring Project

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Abstract

In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded seven community-based organizations (CBOs) to conduct outcome monitoring of Healthy Relationships. Healthy Relationships is an evidence-based behavioral intervention for people living with HIV. Demographic and sexual risk behaviors recalled by participants with a time referent of the past 90 days were collected over a 17-month project period using a repeated measures design. Data were collected at baseline, and at 3 and 6 months after the intervention. Generalized estimating equations were used to assess the changes in sexual risk behaviors after participation in Healthy Relationships. Our findings show that participants (n = 474) in the outcome monitoring project reported decreased sexual risk behaviors over time, such as fewer number of partners (RR = 0.55; 95% CI 0.41–0.73, P < 0.001) and any unprotected sex events (OR = 0.44; 95% CI 0.36–0.54, P < 0.001) at 6 months after the intervention. Additionally, this project demonstrates that CBOs can successfully collect and report longitudinal outcome monitoring data.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the efforts of the CBOP staff at each agency for their support and assistance in conducting this outcome monitoring project. We would also like to thank Stephen Tregear for his statistical consultation and thoughtful review of a previous version of this article. Felicia Hardnett, Brenda Chen, and Venkat Mannam provided valuable statistical assistance and consultation. Input from Eka Shapatava was very helpful in preparing this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program Evaluation Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-E59, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA

    Janet L. Heitgerd, Alpa Patel-Larson, Gary Uhl & Bryce D. Smith

  2. MANILA Consulting Group, Inc., McLean, VA, USA

    Elizabeth J. Kalayil & Weston O. Williams

  3. Northrup Grumman, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Tanesha Griffin

Authors
  1. Janet L. Heitgerd
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  2. Elizabeth J. Kalayil
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  3. Alpa Patel-Larson
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  4. Gary Uhl
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  5. Weston O. Williams
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  6. Tanesha Griffin
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  7. Bryce D. Smith
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Janet L. Heitgerd.

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

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Heitgerd, J.L., Kalayil, E.J., Patel-Larson, A. et al. Reduced Sexual Risk Behaviors Among People Living with HIV: Results from the Healthy Relationships Outcome Monitoring Project. AIDS Behav 15, 1677–1690 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-011-9913-2

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