HIV-Prevention Group Counseling Delivered by Telephone: An Efficacy Trial with Gay and Bisexual Men

Abstract

A 14-session cognitive-behavioral group counseling intervention designed to assist gay and bisexual males in reducing their risk of HIV transmission was evaluated in an experimental design. To overcome psychological and geographic barriers to serving individuals at risk, the counseling sessions and all data collection interviews were conducted via telephone. Participants had the option of enrolling anonymously, and a toll-free number was made available. At reassessment, treatment group participants were 80% less likely than controls to report any unprotected anal sex, and were nearly twice as likely to report some condom use with anal and oral sex. Treated participants also reported a significantly greater decline than controls in the proportion of anal sex acts that were unprotected by condoms. While those who were treated maintained a lower risk level over the year following treatment, their initial increase in condom utilization was not maintained. Delivering counseling interventions via the telephone, when coupled with the option for participating anonymously, holds considerable promise in overcoming barriers to reaching and effectively facilitating risk reduction in high-risk populations.