New publication: Effectiveness of a Couple-Based HIV and STI Prevention Intervention

April 11, 2019

A new study from Columbia University’s Social Intervention Group confirms the success of couple-based intervention in reducing risky sexual behaviors in criminal justice settings: Effectiveness of a Couple-Based HIV and STI Prevention Intervention for Men in Community Supervision Programs and Their Female Sexual Partners A Randomized Clinical Trial

It Takes Two to Combat HIV Transmission

Columbia University’s Social Intervention Group (SIG), led by Dr. Nabila El-Bassel, has successfully proven a new approach to reducing sexual risk behaviors among men in community supervision programs—often assigned as alternatives to incarceration programs—and their female sex partners. Participants in the novel couple-based intervention, called PACT (Protect and Connect), were less likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors. The findings, published this week by JAMA Network Open, suggest that a couple-based intervention may curb the HIV/STI epidemic among men in community supervision programs.

Dr. El-Bassel, director of SIG, says:

I cannot overstate the significance of this study. By bringing men from community supervision programs and their female partners to learn together as a dyad about safe sex practices, and to build communication skills and healthy relationships, they reduced their sexual risk behaviors and improved communication skills. These outcomes indicate that it takes two to combat the HIV epidemic.