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A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Relative Efficacy of Enhanced Versus Standard Voluntary Counseling and Testing on Promoting Condom Use among Men Who Have Sex with Men in China

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Abstract

The randomized controlled trial investigated the relative efficacy of an enhanced (EVCT) versus standard (SVCT) voluntary counseling and testing in reducing unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. 295 participants who recruited by respondent driven sampling methods were randomly allocated to the two arms. In addition to the SVCT, the EVCT group watched a theory-based video narrated by a HIV positive MSM, received enhanced counseling and a reminder gift. As compared to the SVCT group, the EVCT group reported lower prevalence of UAI with any male sex partners (48.4% versus 66.7%, RR = 0.7, ARR = −18.3%, p = 0.010) and with regular male sex partners (52.2% versus 68.9%, RR = 0.8, ARR = −16.7%, p = 0.043) at Month 6, whilst baseline between-group differences were statistically non-significant. Between-group differences in HIV/syphilis incidence were statistically non-significant. Translational research should be conducted to integrate non-intensive enhancements such as the EVCT into regular testing services.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the study participants for their contributions, and X. Wu, Y. Zhu, Q. Wei, Z. Pu, Heizi, Zhuimeng, W. Xu, J. Ji and H. Guo for registration, HIV counseling, HIV screening and confirming. We also thank the NGO of Jiangsu Tongtian offering assistance through the whole study. This study is financially supported by Jiangsu Provincial Technologies Research Program, No. BE2009685.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shool of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China

    Chun Hao & Jing Gu

  2. Center for Health Behaviours Research, School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 5/F, School of Public Health and Primary Care, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China

    Chun Hao, Jing Gu & Joseph T. F. Lau

  3. Centre for Medical Anthropology and Behavioral Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China

    Chun Hao, Jing Gu & Joseph T. F. Lau

  4. Jiangsu Provincial Central for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, China

    Xiping Huan, Hongjing Yan, Haitao Yang, Wenhui Guan & Xiaoqin Xu

  5. Nanjing Central for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, China

    Min Zhang & Na Wang

  6. Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

    Weiming Tang

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  1. Chun Hao
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  2. Xiping Huan
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  7. Min Zhang
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  9. Weiming Tang
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  10. Jing Gu
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  11. Joseph T. F. Lau
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joseph T. F. Lau.

Additional information

Chun Hao and Xiping Huan contributed equally to the preparation of the manuscript.

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Hao, C., Huan, X., Yan, H. et al. A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Relative Efficacy of Enhanced Versus Standard Voluntary Counseling and Testing on Promoting Condom Use among Men Who Have Sex with Men in China. AIDS Behav 16, 1138–1147 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-012-0141-1

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