Abstract
Behavioral HIV prevention interventions designed to improve safer-sex communication skills with sexual partners may enhance engagement in protective behaviors and reduce HIV/STI risk. The current meta-analyses examined the efficacy of individual-based (i.e., not couples-based) HIV prevention interventions with a partner communication skills building component to increase frequency of: (a) safer-sex communication and (b) condom use with sexual partners among HIV at-risk groups (e.g., heterosexual African American females). Studies were retrieved from online bibliographic databases, a database of effective behavioral HIV prevention interventions, and an existing review of effective interventions. Eight manuscripts (k = 10 intervention vs. control comparisons) met inclusion criteria. Results indicated that compared to control conditions, at post-intervention follow-up, participants who were exposed to individual-based HIV prevention interventions with safer-sex communication skills training components had safer sex discussions with partners more frequently [drandom = 0.35 ± 0.10, p < .001, 95% CI (0.16, 0.55)], and used condoms more frequently [drandom = 0.39 ± 0.07, p < .001, 95% CI (0.25, 0.54)]. Including partner communication skills training in individual-based HIV prevention interventions may increase the frequency of both partner communication and condom use among the at-risk populations represented in the meta-analyses.
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This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (R03DA0377860; PI: Jennifer L. Brown).
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The authors Nicole K. Gause, Jennifer L. Brown, Jeffrey Welge, and Nathan Northern declare that they have no conflict of interest.
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This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors. Informed consent was not obtained by any of the authors directly, as these meta-analyses did not collect data directly from participants in any of the studies included.
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Gause, N.K., Brown, J.L., Welge, J. et al. Meta-analyses of HIV prevention interventions targeting improved partner communication: effects on partner communication and condom use frequency outcomes. J Behav Med 41, 423–440 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-018-9916-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-018-9916-9