Relapse prevention as an interventive model for HIV risk reduction in gay and bisexual men
Roffman, R.A.; Stephen, R.S.; Curtin, L.; Gordon, J.R.; Craver, J.N.; Stern, M.; Beadnell, B.; Downey, L.
Aids Education and Prevention Official Publication of the International Society for Aids Education 10(1): 1-18
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0899-9546 PMID: 9505095 Document Number: 492146
Despite considerable self-initiated HIV risk reduction among men who have sex with men, little is known about how to design interventions that will effectively assist individuals from this population in maintaining safer sex behaviours over time. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a 17-session group counselling intervention that incorporated components based on a cognitive-behavioral model of relapse. Differential behavioural outcomes following treatment included an increase in the percentage of sexual activities that were protected and a decrease in unprotected oral sex. However, considerable risk reduction (e.g., increased condom use, decreased unprotected sex, and decreases in the number of male partners and in the total number of sexual acts) occurred in both treated and untreated participants. Measures of mediating attitudinal variables drawn from relapse prevention theory largely predicted behavioural changes. Over time, several of the risk reduction behaviours achieved at posttreatment were not maintained, suggesting the importance of further developing effective strategies for supporting behaviour change maintenance.