title: Mitigating risky sexual behaviors among Russian narcology hospital patients: the PREVENT (Partnership to Reduce the Epidemic Via Engagement in Narcology Treatment) randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effectiveness of a sexual risk reduction intervention in the Russian narcology hospital setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a randomized controlled trial from October 2004 to December 2005 among patients with alcohol and/or heroin dependence from two narcology hospitals in St Petersburg, Russia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intervention subjects received two personalized sexual behavior counseling sessions plus three telephone booster sessions. Control subjects received usual addiction treatment, which did not include sexual behavior counseling. All received a research assessment and condoms at baseline.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary outcomes were percentage of safe sex episodes (number of times condoms were used / by number of sexual episodes) and no unprotected sex (100% condom use or abstinence) during the previous 3 months, assessed at 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intervention subjects reported higher median percentage of safe sex episodes (unadjusted median difference 12.7%; P = 0.01; adjusted median difference 23%, P = 0.07); a significant difference was not detected for the outcome no unprotected sex in the past 3 months [unadjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.8-3.1; adjusted OR 1.5, 95% CI 0.7-3.3].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among Russian substance-dependent individuals, sexual behavior counseling during addiction treatment should be considered as one potential component of efforts to decrease risky sexual behaviors in this HIV at-risk population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, Boston University School of Medicine/Boston Medical Center, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118, USA. jsamet@bu.edu
authors.forename: Jeffrey H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Samet
authors.forename: Evgeny M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Krupitsky
authors.forename: Debbie M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raj
authors.forename: Valentina Y
authors.initials: VY
authors.lastname: Egorova
authors.forename: Suzette
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Levenson
authors.forename: Seville
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meli
authors.forename: Carly
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bridden
authors.forename: Elena V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Verbitskaya
authors.forename: Mary L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kamb
authors.forename: Edwin E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Zvartau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012426:Russia; D021841:Safe Sex; D012731:Sex Counseling; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000517:prevention & control*