title: Protocol for a Controlled Experiment to Identify the Causal Role of Acute Alcohol Consumption in Condomless Sex among HIV-Positive MSM: Study Procedures, Ethical Considerations, and Implications for HIV Prevention.
abstract: Although alcohol consumption is frequently perceived as a driver of condomless sex and subsequent HIV acquisition, the causal nature of this relationship remains unclear, and little is known about alcohol's direct versus indirect impact on the sexual risk dynamics of those who are HIV-positive. To address this gap, we present the protocol for an in-progress NIAAA-funded controlled experiment, wherein a sample of HIV-positive men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) undergoes an alcohol consumption manipulation (alcohol/placebo/control) and sexual arousal induction (sexually aroused/non-aroused), and then reports intentions to engage in condom-protected and condomless sexual acts with hypothetical sexual partners differing in HIV serostatus (HIV+/HIV-/HIV status unknown), condom use preference (use/don't use/not stated), and physical attractiveness (attractive/unattractive). Study outcomes will identify alcohol's impact on HIV-positive MSM's condomless sex intentions in the context of experimentally-manipulated factors as well as risk-relevant personality traits and alcohol-related expectancies. Detailed experimental procedures, ethical considerations, and potential implications for HIV prevention are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada. paul.shuper@camh.ca.|Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. paul.shuper@camh.ca.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Shuper
authors.affiliation: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada.
authors.forename: Narges
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Joharchi
authors.affiliation: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada.|Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.|Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rehm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002170:Canada; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004644:Emotions; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D012747:Sexual Partners; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol; Arousal; Condom; Experiment; HIV; MSM; Personality