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CompletedNCT01554423SA R01Updated Jul 19, 2017

Four-Arm Randomized Control Trial of Brief MI Versus Couples-Based HIV/STI Prevention in South Africa

An interventional study of Testing and Counseling and Brief Motivational Interview (BMI) in HIV Prevention, sponsored by The City College of New York. Completed at 1 site in South Africa. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 40 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2017-07-19.

Sponsored by The City College of New York · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
464
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 40 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This study is a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) of Integrated and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for HIV Prevention in Pretoria, South Africa. The RCT will evaluate the efficacy of a brief motivational interview (BMI) and a cognitive-behavioral couples' (IFCBT) intervention alone and in combination against a comparison condition to reduce new cases of HIV and sexually transmitted infections and increase condom use and decrease sexual risk behavior, drug use, and intimate partner violence among young female drug users in Pretoria, South Africa and their primary intimate partners. In the RCT, 384 couples comprised of young female drug users who do (N = 192) and do not (N = 192) trade sex and their primary intimate heterosexual partners will be randomly assigned to one-of-four conditions: (1) testing and counseling; (2) brief motivational interview (BMI); (3) cognitive-behavioral couples' intervention (IFCBT); or (4) BMI and IFCBT combined. Eligibility criteria for couples include an HIV-negative drug using female aged 18 to 40 and their primary intimate partner or spouse who is also HIV negative. Each partner of each couple will be administered assessments with a rapid test for HIV and urine tests for Chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, and drug use at baseline and 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up.

02

Conditions studied

  • HIV Prevention

Keywords

  • HIV Prevention Intervention
03

In context

Lead sponsor

The City College of New York is the lead sponsor of 8 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 40 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Live in the Pretoria, South Africa region
  • 18-40 Years of Age
  • In a steady, intimate relationship for 6 months or longer
  • Used illicit drugs in the past 6 months

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Acute suicidality/homicidality
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
464 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Testing and Counseling

    One of the four RCT arms will be comprised of couples randomly assigned to testing and counseling on HIV and associated STI co-infections based on revised procedures developed by the CDC. Couples will receive information on the transmission and prevention of HIV and STIs, the meaning of test results, and health consequences. Randomized trial studies of behavioral interventions have incorporated testing and counseling as a comparison condition and studies in the US and SSA countries have shown that testing and counseling on its own can help to reduce HIV/STI risk behaviors.

    Other: Testing and Counseling

  • Experimental
    Brief Motivational Interview (BMI)

    The brief motivational interview (BMI) to be tested in the RCT in Pretoria is a one-session, 45 minute intervention that will coordinate three, 15-minute modules with one module each to (1) reduce hazardous drinking; (2) reduce illicit drug use; and (3) promote condom use. Each module is delivered by the clinician using a two-sided laminated card that includes scripted questions and visual aids. Consistent with brief intervention models, the BMI intervention is delivered during one 45 minute session with advice giving as a primary characteristic. Motivational interviewing is also incorporated within the BMI intervention by using a client-centered method of communication to foster behavior change through five techniques of expressing empathy, developing discrepancy, avoiding argumentation, supporting self-efficacy, and motivational rules.

    Behavioral: Brief Motivational Interview (BMI)

  • Experimental
    Integrated Family and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

    The IFCBT model is 6 sessions in length and coordinates the delivery of 4 cognitive-behavioral group couples' sessions with 2 individual couples' sessions to prevent HIV and STI co-infections among adult drug users. IFCBT targets HIV risk and protective factors that operate across multiple ecological systems. The four group couples' sessions coordinate Rational Emotive Therapy and Problem Solving Therapy strategies to reduce HIV risk behavior and promote protective behaviors. The two individual couples' sessions utilize structural and strategic approaches to promote adaptive communication and shared responsibility for condom use and gender equality and to directly address and reduce any form of abuse between partners when present. The six IFCBT sessions are delivered during a 2-week period with two group couples' sessions and one individual couples' session each week.

    Behavioral: Integrated Family and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

  • Experimental
    BMI + IFCBT

    Participants assigned to this experimental arm will receive Brief Motivational Interviewing combined with Integrated Family and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

    Behavioral: Brief Motivational Interview (BMI) · Behavioral: Integrated Family and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Interventions

  • OtherTesting and Counseling

    Couples will receive information on the transmission and prevention of HIV and STIs, the meaning of test results, and health consequences.

  • BehavioralBrief Motivational Interview (BMI)

    The brief motivational interview (BMI) to be tested in the RCT in Pretoria is a one-session, 45 minute intervention that will coordinate three, 15-minute modules with one module each to (1) reduce hazardous drinking; (2) reduce illicit drug use; and (3) promote condom use.

  • BehavioralIntegrated Family and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

    The IFCBT model is 6 sessions in length and coordinates the delivery of 4 cognitive-behavioral group couples' sessions with 2 individual couples' sessions to prevent HIV and STI co-infections among adult drug users. IFCBT targets HIV risk and protective factors that operate across multiple ecological systems. The four group couples' sessions coordinate Rational Emotive Therapy and Problem Solving Therapy strategies to reduce HIV risk behavior and promote protective behaviors. The two individual couples' sessions utilize structural and strategic approaches to promote adaptive communication and shared responsibility for condom use and gender equality and to directly address and reduce any form of abuse between partners when present.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Biologically confirmed infectious disease status

    Biologically confirmed infectious disease (HIV, Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis)

    Time frame: Outcome measure will be assessed up to 18 months after enrollment.

  2. Condom use and sexual risk behavior

    Condom use during last sexual intercourse, proportion of unprotected sex episodes; number of partners.

    Time frame: Outcome measure will be assessed up to 18 months after enrollment.

  3. Drug taking risk behavior

    Hazardous alcohol use, and positive urinalysis for marijuana, cocaine, heroin.

    Time frame: Outcome measure will be assessed up to 18 months after enrollment.

  4. Intimate partner violence

    Psychological, physical, and sexual violence.

    Time frame: Outcome measure will be assessed up to 18 months after enrollment.

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Louis Pasteur Medical Centre
    Pretoria, Gauteng 0002, South Africa
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 19, 2017, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01554423
Lead sponsor
The City College of New York
Collaborators
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Responsible party
Dr. William Latimer (Professor and Dean, The City College of New York) — Principal investigator
First posted
Mar 15, 2012
Start date
Jul 2010
Primary completion
Jan 31, 2017
Completion
Jun 30, 2017
Last update
Jul 19, 2017

Study contacts

William W Latimer, Ph.D.
study director · University of Florida

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2017. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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