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A Comparison of Referred Sexual Partners to Their Community Recruited Counterparts in The BROTHERS Project (HPTN 061)

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Abstract

The BROTHERS Project (HPTN 061) was established to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a multi-component intervention among African American MSM to reduce HIV incidence. The goal of this analysis was to determine if the sexual partner referral approach used in HPTN 061 broadened the reach of recruitment with regards to characteristics associated with higher infection rates and barriers to quality health care. Overall, referred sexual partners had notable structural barrier differences in comparison to community-recruited participants: lower income, less education, higher unemployment, HIV positive diagnosis, incarceration history, and no health insurance. The study’s findings pose implications for utilizing the sexual partner referral approach in reaching African American MSM who may not be accessed by traditional recruitment methods or who are well-integrated in health care systems.

Resumen

Los HERMANOS (HPTN 061) se estableció un proyecto para determinar la viabilidad y la aceptabilidad de una intervención de multicomponentes entre afroamericanos HSH para reducir la incidencia del VIH. El objetivo de este análisis es determinar si la pareja sexual de referencia utilizados en la HPTN 061 amplía el alcance de la contratación en lo que se refiere a características asociadas con tasas de infección más elevadas y las barreras a la atención de salud de calidad. En general, se refiere parejas sexuales tuvieron un notable barrera estructural las diferencias en comparación a la comunidad de reclutar a los participantes: menores ingresos, menos educación, el aumento de los índices de desempleo, EL VIH diagnóstico positivo, el encarcelamiento historia y no tienen seguro de salud. Los resultados del estudio plantean consecuencias para la utilización del compañero sexual de referencia para llegar a los afroamericanos HSH que no se puede acceder por los métodos de reclutamiento o que están bien integradas en los sistemas de la salud.

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Acknowledgements

HPTN 061 grant support was provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Cooperative Agreements UM1 AI068619, UM1 AI068617, and UM1 AI068613. Additional site funding was provided by the Fenway Institute CRS: Harvard University CFAR (P30 AI060354) and CTU for HIV Prevention and Microbicide Research (UM1 AI069480). Further support came from the George Washington University CRS: District of Columbia Developmental CFAR (P30 AI087714); Harlem Prevention Center CRS and NY Blood Center/Union Square CRS: Columbia University CTU (5U01 AI069466) and ARRA funding (3U01 AI069466-03S1). This project received support from the Hope Clinic of the Emory Vaccine Center CRS and The Ponce de Leon Center CRS: Emory University HIV/AIDS CTU (5U01 AI069418), CFAR (P30 AI050409) and CTSA (UL1 RR025008). Finally, this paper was also supported by the San Francisco Vaccine and Prevention CRS: ARRA funding (3U01 AI069496-03S1, 3U01 AI069496-03S2) in addition to the UCLA Vine Street CRS: UCLA Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases CTU (U01 AI069424). The lead author would also like to recognize the support of her colleagues and leadership at Howard Brown Health Center, Jamal Edwards, Emilio German, and her family.

HPTN 061 grant support provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Cooperative Agreements UM1 AI068619, UM1 AI068617, and UM1 AI068613. Additional site funding—Fenway Institute Clinical Research Site (CRS): Harvard University CFAR (P30 AI060354) and CTU for HIV Prevention and Microbicide Research (UM1 AI069480); George Washington University CRS: District of Columbia Developmental CFAR (P30 AI087714); Harlem Prevention Center CRS and NY Blood Center/Union Square CRS: Columbia University CTU (5U01 AI069466) and ARRA funding (3U01 AI069466-03S1); Hope Clinic of the Emory Vaccine Center CRS and The Ponce de Leon Center CRS: Emory University HIV/AIDS CTU (5U01 AI069418), CFAR (P30 AI050409) and CTSA (UL1 RR025008); San Francisco Vaccine and Prevention CRS: ARRA funding (3U01 AI069496-03S1, 3U01 AI069496-03S2); UCLA Vine Street CRS: UCLA Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases CTU (U01 AI069424).

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Author notes

  1. Grace Hall

    Present address: Division of HIV and AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Howard Brown Health Center, 4025 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA

    Grace Hall

  2. Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA

    Keala Li & Lei Wang

  3. Department of Human Development, College of Community and Public Affairs, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA

    Leo Wilton

  4. Graduate School of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Darrell Wheeler

  5. Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Jessica Fogel

  6. Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention, New York Blood Center, New York, NY, USA

    Beryl Koblin

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  1. Grace Hall
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Correspondence to Grace Hall.

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Hall, G., Li, K., Wilton, L. et al. A Comparison of Referred Sexual Partners to Their Community Recruited Counterparts in The BROTHERS Project (HPTN 061). AIDS Behav 19, 2214–2223 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-015-1005-2

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