CVCTPlus: A Couples-Based Approach to Linkage to Care and ARV Adherence

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: HIV

In brief

Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be the most heavily-impacted risk group in the US HIV epidemic. Studies suggest that the majority of incident HIV infections among MSM are attributable to sex with a main male sex partner. However, HIV prevention interventions that target male-male couples are lacking. Because of this, Couples HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing (CVCT), an intervention that has been repeatedly shown to reduce HIV transmission within heterosexual couples, has been adapted to US MSM couples. Additionally, novel evidence demonstrates that antiretroviral therapy (ART) not only reduces morbidity and mortality among HIV-positive persons, but also serves to reduce the risk of HIV transmission to a negative partner by 96%. As adherence to ART is modifiable and levels of peer support have been shown to increase ART adherence, this current study proposes to use CVCT combined with dyadic adherence counseling ("CVCTPlus") to improve linkage to care, retention in care, ART adherence, and viral suppression among male-male couples using a cohort of 350 serodiscordant (one HIV(+) partner, one HIV(-) partner) couples in the greater Atlanta, Chicago, and Boston areas. Prospective couples (175 in each arm) will be followed for 18 months. At each visit, they will receive HIV testing, and both partners will complete a study survey measuring social and behavioral factors that may influence adherence, such as a couple's coping ability and their concordance of agreements regarding outside sex partners. Additionally, couples in the intervention arm will receive two additional sessions of Partner-STEPS.

Key facts

Study ID
NCT01772992
Run by
University of Michigan
People needed
586
Starts
2014-06-01
Expected to finish
2019-12-01
Last updated by the study team
2020-01-28

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: male. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

Where it is running

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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