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Efficacy of a Brief HIV Prevention Counseling Intervention Among STI Clinic Patients in Russia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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Abstract

The study examined the efficacy of a brief theory-based counseling intervention to reduce sexual HIV risk behaviors among STI clinic patients in St. Petersburg, Russia. Men and women (n = 307) were recruited to receive either: (1) a 60-minute motivational/skills-building counseling session dealing with sexual HIV risk reduction, or (2) written HIV prevention information material. Participants completed baseline, three- and six-month assessments in the period between July 2009 and May 2011. Compared to the control group, the face-to-face counseling intervention showed significant increases in the percentage of condom use and consistent condom use, and significant decreases in the number of unprotected sexual acts and frequency of drug use before sex. Intervention effects dissipated by 6 months. The brief counseling intervention may effectively reduce HIV sexual risk behaviors and enhance protective behaviors among STI clinic patients in Russia. Short-term positive effects were achieved with a single one hour counseling session.

Resumen

El estudio examinó la eficacia de una intervención breve para reducir el riesgo de transmisión sexual del VIH entre los pacientes de una clinica de infecciones de transmisión sexual en San Petersburgo, Rusia. Hombres y mujeres (n = 307) fueron reclutados para recibir: (1) una sesión de 60 minutos de una intervención para desarrollar la motivación y de las habilidades de reducción de los comportamientos sexuales de riesgo del VIH, o (2) información por escrito de la prevención del VIH. Los participantes completaron las evaluaciones al inicio del estudio, 3 y 6 meses en el período comprendido entre julio de 2009 y mayo de 2011. En comparación con los controles, el breve intervención mostraron incrementos significativos en el porcentaje del uso del condón, el uso consistente del condón, y disminuciones significativas en el número de relaciones sexuales sin protección y en el uso de drogas antes de tener sexo. Los efectos fueron significativos en las evaluaciones tres meses después de la intervención. La intervención breve puede reducir efectivamente los comportamientos sexuales de riesgo del VIH y mejorar las conductas de protección entre los pacientes de la clínica de ITS en Rusia. Efectos se podría lograr con una hora sesión de consejeria.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by Grant Number R01AA017389 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (PI: N. Abdala).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT, 06520-8034, USA

    Nadia Abdala

  2. Department of Psychology, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA

    Weihai Zhan

  3. The Biomedical Center, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

    Alla V. Shaboltas, Roman V. Skochilov, Andrei P. Kozlov & Tatiana V. Krasnoselskikh

  4. Saint Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

    Alla V. Shaboltas, Roman V. Skochilov & Andrei P. Kozlov

  5. Pavlov State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

    Tatiana V. Krasnoselskikh

Authors
  1. Nadia Abdala
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  2. Weihai Zhan
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  3. Alla V. Shaboltas
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  4. Roman V. Skochilov
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  5. Andrei P. Kozlov
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  6. Tatiana V. Krasnoselskikh
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Correspondence to Nadia Abdala.

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Abdala, N., Zhan, W., Shaboltas, A.V. et al. Efficacy of a Brief HIV Prevention Counseling Intervention Among STI Clinic Patients in Russia: A Randomized Controlled Trial. AIDS Behav 17, 1016–1024 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-012-0311-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-012-0311-1

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