Relative efficacy of a multisession sexual risk-reduction intervention for young men released from prisons in 4 states.
OBJECTIVE
We compared the effects of an enhanced multisession intervention with a single-session intervention on the sexual risk behavior of young men released from prison.


METHODS
Young men, aged 18 to 29 years, were recruited from US prisons in 4 states and systematically assigned to the prerelease single-session intervention or the pre- and postrelease enhanced intervention. Both interventions addressed HIV, hepatitis, and other sexually transmitted infections; the enhanced intervention also addressed community reentry needs (e.g., housing, employment). Assessment data were collected before intervention, and 1, 12, and 24 weeks after release.


RESULTS
A total of 522 men were included in intent-to-treat analyses. Follow-up rates ranged from 76% to 87%. Unprotected vaginal or anal sex during the 90 days before incarceration was reported by 86% of men in the enhanced intervention and 89% in the single-session intervention (OR=0.78; 95% CI=0.46, 1.32). At 24 weeks, 68% of men assigned to the enhanced intervention reported unprotected vaginal or anal sex compared with 78% of those assigned to the single-session intervention (OR=0.40; 95% CI=0.18, 0.88).


CONCLUSIONS
Project START demonstrated the efficacy of a sexual risk-reduction intervention that bridges incarceration and community reentry.
Wolitski
Richard J
RJ
Prevention Research Branch, Division of HIV and AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. rwolitski@cdc.gov
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D018579:Patient Selection; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States