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Published in: AIDS and Behavior 8/2017

01-08-2017 | Original Paper

Couples-Focused Prevention Program to Reduce HIV Risk Among Transgender Women and Their Primary Male Partners: Feasibility and Promise of the Couples HIV Intervention Program

Authors: Don Operario, Kristi E. Gamarel, Mariko Iwamoto, Sachico Suzuki, Sabrina Suico, Lynae Darbes, Tooru Nemoto

Published in: AIDS and Behavior | Issue 8/2017

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Abstract

HIV risk among transgender women has been attributed to condomless sex with primary male partners. This study pilot tested a couples-focused HIV intervention program for transgender women and their primary male partners. We analyzed data from 56 transgender women and their male partners (n = 112 participants) who were randomized as a couple to one of two groups. Participants in the intervention group (27 couples) received 3 counseling sessions: 2 couples-focused sessions, which discussed relationship dynamics, communication, and HIV risk, and 1 individual-focused session on HIV prevention concerns. Participants in the control group (29 couples) received 1 session on general HIV prevention information delivered to both partners together. At 3-month follow-up, participants in the intervention reported lower odds of condomless sex with primary partners (OR 0.5, 95 % CI 0.3–1.0), reduced odds of engaging in sex with a casual partner (OR 0.3, 95 % CI 0.1–1.0), and reduction in the number of casual partners (B = −1.45, SE = 0.4) compared with the control group. Findings provide support for the feasibility and promise of a couples-focused HIV prevention intervention for transgender women and their primary male partners.
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Metadata
Title
Couples-Focused Prevention Program to Reduce HIV Risk Among Transgender Women and Their Primary Male Partners: Feasibility and Promise of the Couples HIV Intervention Program
Authors
Don Operario
Kristi E. Gamarel
Mariko Iwamoto
Sachico Suzuki
Sabrina Suico
Lynae Darbes
Tooru Nemoto
Publication date
01-08-2017
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
AIDS and Behavior / Issue 8/2017
Print ISSN: 1090-7165
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3254
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-016-1462-2

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