Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
AIDS and Behavior
Published in: AIDS and Behavior 8/2017

01-08-2017 | Original Article

Integrating HIV Prevention and Relationship Education for Young Same-Sex Male Couples: A Pilot Trial of the 2GETHER Intervention

Authors: Michael E. Newcomb, Kathryn R. Macapagal, Brian A. Feinstein, Emily Bettin, Gregory Swann, Sarah W. Whitton

Published in: AIDS and Behavior | Issue 8/2017

Login to get access

Abstract

Young men who have sex with men are at high risk for HIV, and most new HIV infections occur in serious relationships. This pilot study assessed the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of the 2GETHER couples-based HIV prevention and relationship education intervention for young same-sex male couples. We enrolled 57 young male couples (N = 114) into a four-session hybrid group and individual intervention. We assessed acceptability via post-session surveys and exit interviews, and we examined preliminary efficacy at a two week posttest. The vast majority of participants (93%) reported exclusively positive impressions of 2GETHER, and all components received high mean ratings. We observed decreases in HIV risk behavior, increases in information, motivation and behavioral skills related to HIV prevention, and improvement in relationship investment between pretest and posttest. Integrating relationship education and sexual health programming may be an effective way to reduce HIV transmissions in young male couples.
Literature
1.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV Surveillance—Men Who Have Sex with Men. 2016.
2.
Goodreau SM, Carnegie NB, Vittinghoff E, et al. What drives the US and Peruvian HIV epidemics in men who have sex with men (MSM)? PLoS ONE. 2012;7:e50522.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
3.
Sullivan PS, Salazar L, Buchbinder S, Sanchez TH. Estimating the proportion of HIV transmissions from main sex partners among men who have sex with men in five US cities. AIDS. 2009;23:1153–62.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Safren SA, Blashill AJ, O’Cleirigh CM. Promoting the sexual health of MSM in the context of comorbid mental health problems. AIDS Behav. 2011;15(Suppl 1):S30–4.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
5.
Rowniak S. Safe sex fatigue, treatment optimism, and serosorting: new challenges to HIV prevention among men who have sex with men. J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care. 2009;20:31–8.CrossRefPubMed
6.
Greene GJ, Fisher KA, Kuper L, Andrews R, Mustanski B. “Is this normal? Is this not normal? There’s no set example”: sexual health intervention preferences of LGBT youth in romantic relationships. Sex Res Social Policy. 2015;12:1–14.CrossRefPubMed
7.
Mustanski B, Newcomb ME, Clerkin EM. Relationship characteristics and sexual risk-taking in young men who have sex with men. Health Psychol. 2011;30:597–605.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
8.
Newcomb ME, Ryan DT, Garofalo R, Mustanski B. The effects of sexual partnership and relationship characteristics on three sexual risk variables in young men who have sex with men. Arch Sex Behav. 2014;43:61–72.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
9.
Perez-Figueroa RE, Kapadia F, Barton SC, Eddy JA, Halkitis PN. Acceptability of PrEP uptake among racially/ethnically diverse young men who have sex with men: the P18 Study. AIDS Educ Prev. 2015;27:112–25.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
10.
Greene GJ, Andrews R, Kuper L, Mustanski B. Intimacy, monogamy, and condom problems drive unprotected sex among young men in serious relationships with other men: a mixed methods dyadic study. Arch Sex Behav. 2014;43:73–87.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
11.
Mitchell JW, Petroll AE. Patterns of HIV and sexually transmitted infection testing among men who have sex with men couples in the United States. Sex Transm Dis. 2012;39:871–6.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
12.
Chakravarty D, Hoff CC, Neilands TB, Darbes LA. Rates of testing for HIV in the presence of serodiscordant UAI among HIV-negative gay men in committed relationships. AIDS Behav. 2012;16:1944–8.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
13.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV among gay and bisexual men: CDC National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, 2015.
14.
Mustanski B, Newcomb M, Du Bois SN, Garcia SC, Grov C. HIV in young men who have sex with men: a review of epidemiology, risk and protective factors, and interventions. J Sex Res. 2011;48:218–53.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
15.
Bingham TA, Harawa NT, Johnson DF, et al. The effect of partner characteristics on HIV infection among African American men who have sex with men in the Young Men’s Survey, Los Angeles, 1999-2000. AIDS Educ Prev. 2003;15:39–52.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Mustanski B, Newcomb ME. Older sexual partners may contribute to racial disparities in HIV among young men who have sex with men. J Adolesc Health. 2013;52:666–7.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
17.
Newcomb ME, Mustanski B. Developmental change in the relationship between alcohol and drug use before sex and sexual risk behavior in young men who have sex with men. AIDS Behav. 2014;18:1981–90.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
18.
Vosburgh HW, Mansergh G, Sullivan PS, Purcell DW. A review of the literature on event-level substance use and sexual risk behavior among men who have sex with men. AIDS Behav. 2012;16:1394–410.CrossRefPubMed
19.
Grov C, Starks TJ, Rendina HJ, Parsons J. Rules about casual sex partners, relationship satisfaction, and HIV risk in partnered gay and bisexual men. J Sex Marital Ther. 2014;40:105–22.CrossRefPubMed
20.
21.
Hoff CC, Beougher SC, Chakravarty D, Darbes LA, Neilands TB. Relationship characteristics and motivations behind agreements among gay male couples: differences by agreement type and couple serostatus. AIDS Care. 2010;22:827–35.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
22.
Mitchell JW. Characteristics and allowed behaviors of gay male couples’ sexual agreements. J Sex Res. 2014;51:316–28.CrossRefPubMed
23.
Parsons JT, Starks TJ. Drug use and sexual arrangements among gay couples: frequency, interdependence, and associations with sexual risk. Arch Sex Behav. 2014;43:89–98.CrossRefPubMed
24.
25.
26.
Newcomb ME, Mongrella MC, Weis B, McMillen SJ, Mustanski B. Partner disclosure of PrEP use and undetectable viral load on geosocial networking apps: frequency of disclosure and decisions about condomless sex. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2016;71:200–6.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
27.
El-Bassel N, Witte SS, Gilbert L, et al. The efficacy of a relationship-based HIV/STD prevention program for heterosexual couples. Am J Public Health. 2003;93:963–9.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
28.
Jiwatram-Negron T, El-Bassel N. Systematic review of couple-based HIV intervention and prevention studies: advantages, gaps, and future directions. AIDS Behav. 2014;18:1864–87.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
29.
Macapagal K, Greene GJ, Rivera Z, Mustanski B. “The best is always yet to come”: relationship stages and processes among young LGBT couples. J Fam Psychol. 2015;29:309–20.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
30.
Wagenaar BH, Christiansen-Lindquist L, Khosropour C, et al. Willingness of US men who have sex with men (MSM) to participate in Couples HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing (CVCT). PLoS ONE. 2012;7:e42953.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
31.
Sullivan PS, Stephenson R, Grazter B, et al. Adaptation of the African couples HIV testing and counseling model for men who have sex with men in the United States: an application of the ADAPT-ITT framework. Springerplus. 2014;3:249.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
32.
Allen S, Meinzen-Derr J, Kautzman M, et al. Sexual behavior of HIV discordant couples after HIV counseling and testing. AIDS. 2003;17:733–40.CrossRefPubMed
33.
World Health Organization. Guidance on couples HIV testing and counselling including antiretroviral therapy for treatment and prevention in serodiscordant couples. Geneva: WHO; 2012.
34.
Purcell DW, Mizuno Y, Smith DK, et al. Incorporating couples-based approaches into HIV prevention for gay and bisexual men: opportunities and challenges. Arch Sex Behav. 2014;43:35–46.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
35.
36.
Hawkins AJ, Blanchard VL, Baldwin SA, Fawcett EB. Does marriage and relationship education work? A meta-analytic study. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2008;76:723–34.CrossRefPubMed
37.
Buzzella BA, Whitton SW, Tompson MC. The initial evaluation of a relationship education program for male same-sex couples. Couple Family Psychol. 2012;14:306–22.CrossRef
38.
Whitton SW, Weitbrecht EM, Kuryluk AD, Hutsell DW. A randomized waitlist-controlled trial of culturally sensitive relationship education for male same-sex couples. J Fam Psychol. 2016;30:763–8.CrossRefPubMed
39.
Lewis MA, Butterfield RM. Social control in marital relationships: effect of one’s partner on health behaviors. J Appl Soc Psychol. 2007;37:298–319.CrossRef
40.
Waite LJ, Gallagher M. The case for marriage: why married people are happier, healthier, and better off financially. New York: Doubleday; 2000.
41.
Talley AE, Hughes TL, Aranda F, Birkett M, Marshal MP. Exploring alcohol-use behaviors among heterosexual and sexual minority adolescents: intersections with sex, age, and race/ethnicity. Am J Public Health. 2014;104:295–303.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
42.
Bostwick WB, Meyer I, Aranda F, et al. Mental health and suicidality among racially/ethnically diverse sexual minority youths. Am J Public Health. 2014;104:1129–36.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
43.
44.
Misovich SJ, Fisher JD, Fisher WA. Close relationships and elevated HIV risk behavior: evidence and possible underlying psychological processes. Rev Gen Psychol. 1997;1:72–107.CrossRef
45.
Macapagal K, Greene GJ, Andrews R, Mustanski B. Evaluating the Relationship-Oriented Information, Motivation, and Behavioral Skills Model of HIV preventive behaviors in young men who have sex with men. AIDS Educ Prev. 2016;28:165–79.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
46.
Karney BR, Bradbury TN. The longitudinal course of marital quality and stability: a review of theory, method, and research. Psychol Bull. 1995;118:3–34.CrossRefPubMed
47.
Meyer IH. Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychol Bull. 2003;129:674–97.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
48.
Safren S, Otto MW, Worth JL. Life-steps: applying cognitive behavioral therapy to HIV medication adherence. Cogn Behav Pract. 1999;6:332–41.CrossRef
49.
Smith NG, Hart TA, Moody C, et al. Project PRIDE: a cognitive-behavioral group intervention to reduce HIV risk behaviors among HIV-negative young gay and bisexual men. Cogn Behav Pract. 2016;23:398–411.CrossRef
50.
Yadavaia JE, Hayes SC, Vilardaga R. Using acceptance and commitment therapy to increase self-compassion: a randomized controlled trial. J Context Behav Sci. 2014;3:248–57.CrossRef
51.
Mustanski B, Starks T, Newcomb ME. Methods for the design and analysis of relationship and partner effects on sexual health. Arch Sex Behav. 2014;43:21–33.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
52.
Misovich SJ, Fisher WA, Fisher JD. A measure of AIDS prevention information, motivation, behavioral skills, and behavior. In: Davis C, Yarber R, Bauserman R, et al., editors. Handbook of sexuality-related measures. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE; 1998. p. 328–37.
53.
Janulis P, Newcomb ME, Sullivan P, Mustanski B. Evaluating HIV knowledge questionnaires among men who have sex with men: a multi-study item response theory analysis. Arch Sex Behav. In press.
54.
Spanier GB. Measuring dyadic adjustment: new scales for assessing the quality of marriage and similar dyads. J Marriage Fam. 1976;38:15–28.CrossRef
55.
Choi SW, Schalet B, Cook KF, Cella D. Establishing a common metric for depressive symptoms: linking the BDI-II, CES-D, and PHQ-9 to PROMIS depression. Psychol Assess. 2014;26:513–27.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
56.
Pilkonis PA, Choi SW, Reise SP, et al. Item banks for measuring emotional distress from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS(R)): depression, anxiety, and anger. Assessment. 2011;18:263–83.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
57.
Saunders JB, Aasland OG, Babor TF, de la Fuente JR, Grant M. Development of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): WHO collaborative project on early detection of persons with harmful alcohol consumption-II. Addiction. 1993;88:791–804.CrossRefPubMed
58.
Levesque RJR. The romantic experience of adolescents satisfying love relationships. J Youth Adolesc. 1992;22:219–51.CrossRef
59.
Newcomb ME, Birkett M, Corliss HL, Mustanski B. Sexual orientation, gender, and racial differences in illicit drug use in a sample of US high school students. Am J Public Health. 2014;104:304–10.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
Metadata
Title
Integrating HIV Prevention and Relationship Education for Young Same-Sex Male Couples: A Pilot Trial of the 2GETHER Intervention
Authors
Michael E. Newcomb
Kathryn R. Macapagal
Brian A. Feinstein
Emily Bettin
Gregory Swann
Sarah W. Whitton
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/s10461-017-1674-0

Other articles of this Issue 8/2017

AIDS and Behavior 8/2017 Go to the issue

Substantive Review

The Socio-Ecological Model Approach to Understanding Barriers and Facilitators to the Accessing of Health Services by Sex Workers: A Systematic Review

Original Paper

Is Sex with Older Male Partners Associated with Higher Sexual Risk Behavior Among Young Black MSM?

Original Paper

Intimate Partner Violence and HIV-Risk Behaviors: Evaluating Avoidant Coping as a Moderator

Original Paper

Remaining Gap in HIV Testing Uptake Among Female Sex Workers in Iran

Original Paper

Prevalence of HIV Infection and Risk Factors Among Female Sex Workers in a Southeast Province of Vietnam

Original Paper

Estimating the Population Size of Female Sex Worker Population in Tehran, Iran: Application of Direct Capture–Recapture Method

ACC 2024 Congress Coverage

Heart Failure Video

Year in Review: Heart failure and cardiomyopathies

Watch now

Watch this official video from ACC.24. Dr. Biykem Bozkurt discuss last year's major advances in heart failure and cardiomyopathies.

Semaglutide benefits people with type 2 diabetes and obesity-related heart failure

16-04-2024 Type 2 Diabetes News

Incentivised to exercise

11-04-2024 Lifestyle Modifications News

New intervention for STEMI-related cardiogenic shock

10-04-2024 Myocardial Infarction News

» View more highlights on the ACC 2024 congress hub page

Image Credits