Project HERMITAGE: HIV Prevention in Hospitalized Russian Drinkers

HIV Infections Clinical Trial

Official title: Maximizing Opportunity: HIV Prevention in Hospitalized Russian Drinkers

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The objective of this study is to test in a randomized controlled trial the effectiveness of a US secondary HIV prevention program to reduce HIV risk behaviors, STD acquisition, and alcohol consumption among HIV-infected Russians with risky drinking.

Clinical Trial Description

Russia has one of the fastest growing AIDS epidemics in the world, with an estimated 1 million HIV-infected persons. Initially the Russian HIV epidemic was almost exclusively among injection drug users (IDUs); however, concern exists that HIV is expanding into the general population via sexual transmission. Alcohol use, highly prevalent in Russia, may increase high-risk sexual behaviors among IDUs and alcohol dependent persons. Furthermore, animal models suggest that alcohol consumption plays a permissive role for HIV replication as the resultant higher viral loads may increase risk of transmission. Thus alcohol use may accelerate HIV transmission to the general population in Russia.

The study will randomize 700 HIV-infected patients with risky alcohol consumption to an adapted Healthy Relationships Intervention (HRI) or attention-control support groups. The intervention will be culturally adapted and modified to address substance use and associated risk behaviors. Subjects participating in the HRI will attend three 90-120 min structured group sessions in addition to two 30-60 min individualized sessions over the course of 5-10 days. Subjects in the attention-control group will participate in general health information sessions in the same format (i.e., 2 individualized and 3 group sessions) during the same timeframe.

All patients will be assessed at baseline (pre-randomization) and 6-months and 12-months post-randomization at the recruitment site. Primary outcomes are HIV sex and drug risk behaviors and sexually transmitted diseases. Additionally, subjects will be assessed regarding secondary outcomes including alcohol consumption, quality of life and social support, victimization, suicide, overdose, and disclosure of HIV serostatus.

We hypothesize that relative to the comparison group, participants receiving the adapted Healthy Relationships Intervention will have reduced HIV sex and drug risk behaviors and STD acquisition. If the intervention is effective among HIV-infected hospitalized patients, it could be used to address other HIV infected persons in a variety of Russian settings potentially reducing the transmission of HIV by decreasing risky sex and drug use behaviors among Russians. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• HIV Infections

• NCT number: NCT00483483
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Boston Medical Center
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: October 2007
• Completion date: March 2012