Active clinical trials for "Sexually Transmitted Diseases"

This study compares the effects of standard HIV test, treat and retain (TTR) practices with TTR plus a woman-focused enhanced strategy--Women's Health CoOp (WHC+) intervention) targeting hard-to-reach and vulnerable alcohol and other drug (AOD)-using women to determine if the WHC+ intervention is more efficacious than TTR alone in reducing HIV risk behavior. Additionally, the study will determine whether HIV positive women in the WHC+ arm are more likely to follow through with referrals for further medical evaluation and linkages to HIV treatment and other care than women in the TTR arm.

The purpose of Making Healthy Decisions is to design and rigorously evaluate a new sexual health education program, "Your Move" (YM) against a nutrition control program, "Eat Smart" (ES). YM is intended to improve teen females' (ages 14-19) ability to make healthy sexual decisions with the ultimate goal of reducing unplanned pregnancies and STIs.

The purpose of this study is to test the efficacy of an innovative, culturally relevant, community-based peer group intervention to increase young rural Malawian women's preconception behaviors to optimize their reproductive health. The study uses a longitudinal, two group (two-arm) design with a delayed control group.

African Americans have considerably higher rates of HIV infections than do White, Hispanic, Asian, and Native Americans. African Americans accounted for 59% of all diagnoses of HIV infection among youth (13-24 years of age) in the United States. Young African Americans also have disproportionately high rates of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Therefore, the broad, long-term objective of this research is to identify interventions to reduce the risk of HIV and other STIs among young African Americans. Entertainment-education refers to narrative interventions designed to change behavior while providing entertainment. Several studies have evaluated the impact of media content on HIV risk behavior. One study found that exposure to an entertainment-education based HIV testing campaign was associated with increases in HIV testing among sexually active teens 12 months post exposure. Similarly, a radio soap opera called "Twende na Wakati" became the most popular television show in Tanzania and was highly successful in reducing the number of sexual partners and increasing condom use. A narrative video intervention study in STI clinic waiting rooms in three U.S. cities found a significant reduction in STI re-infection among patients visiting during months when the video was shown compared with patients visiting during months when it was not shown. Although these studies show that entertainment-education can be a promising medium for behavior change, none of them evaluated the efficacy of a tailored online entertainment-education intervention specifically designed for African American youth. To address this gap in the literature, this study tested the preliminary efficacy of an innovative, theory-based HIV risk-reduction serial drama intervention, Reality Check, specifically tailored to young African Americans. We used a randomized controlled trial, allocating African Americans 18 to 24 years of age to Reality Check, or an attention-control intervention promoting physical activity. Each intervention was delivered as a series of videos streamed online and accessible via any Internet-capable device. Participants completed surveys online at baseline, immediately post intervention, and 3 months post intervention. We hypothesized that, Reality Check would reduce condomless sex during the 3-month post-intervention period compared with the attention-matched control group, adjusting for baseline of the criterion.

Indigenous youth are disproportionately represented in new HIV infection rates in Canada. Limited studies have evaluated longitudinal effects of arts-based approaches to HIV prevention with youth. The authors present a rationale and study protocol for an arts-based HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) prevention intervention with Northern and Indigenous youth in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. This is a multi-centre non-randomised cohort pilot study using a pre-test/post-test design with a 12-month follow-up. The target population is Northern and Indigenous youth in eighteen communities in the NWT. The aim is to recruit 150 youth using venue-based sampling at secondary schools. Participants will be involved in an arts-based intervention, Fostering Open eXpression among Youth (FOXY). Participants will complete a pre-test, post-test survey directly following the intervention, and a 12-month follow up.

The long-term goal of this work is to reduce the prevalence of HIV and domestic violence among women at risk by encouraging self-protective behaviors. To obtain this goal, Multnomah County Health Department and Oregon Department of Human Services have conducted a randomized trial of an intervention to prevent HIV and domestic violence among women who have recent criminal justice involvement and who are at risk for HIV infection. Women enrolled in the study were randomly assigned to one of three study conditions: Group 1: these women received information on local resources addressing HIV prevention, domestic violence, and life stability issues; they did not receive any counseling sessions as part of the study itself. Group 2: these women received up to ten supportive counseling sessions based on the techniques of motivational interviewing. These sessions aimed to reduce HIV risk and to improve life stability. Group 3: these women received up to ten supportive counseling sessions based on motivational interviewing. These sessions aimed to reduce risk for HIV and domestic violence and to improve life stability. The primary hypotheses of this study were: 1. Supportive counseling (motivational interviewing) addressing HIV prevention and increased life stability will lead to reductions of HIV risk behavior among women enrolled in the study. 2. Supportive counseling (motivational interviewing) addressing domestic violence prevention, HIV prevention, and increased life stability, will bring about reductions in experiences of domestic violence and a reduction of HIV risk among these women. 3. The supportive counseling received in this study will enhance these women's self-efficacy, self-esteem, and psychological well-being. Women in all three experimental groups were interviewed at the beginning of the study and again after 4, 7, and 10 months. These assessment interviews asked questions about: HIV risk; experiences of domestic violence; and life stability issues such as education, employment, and housing; and included biological testing for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases. Women in Group 2 and Group 3 participated in up to 10 sessions of supportive counseling (motivational interviewing) between the time of enrollment and the 4-month interviews.

This study will develop and evaluate the effectiveness of tailored web-based messages in promoting condom use among young adults.

The purpose of this study is to look at the safety and acceptance of using a microbicide (product that kills germs) gel to clean the genital area. Microbicide gel is used by hospital workers to clean their hands to kill germs. Researchers hope to use information from this study to conduct a larger study to determine if the microbicidal gel protects men against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Thirty healthy uncircumcised Kenyan men, 18 years and older, working in the fishing industry in Kisumu will be recruited. Participants will complete a questionnaire about their background and sexual practices. A researcher will conduct a detailed examination of the genital area with a magnifying glass. A blood and urine sample will be collected to test for infection. Each participant will use both the microbicidal gel and a placebo (contains no active ingredient) gel at different times during the study, and the results will be compared. Volunteers will participate up to 8 weeks.

Over 80% of HIV-1 infected persons are also seropositive for HSV-2. Increasingly, clinical and epidemiologic evidence show the role of HSV in increasing HIV infectiousness. The evidence suggests that HSV is an important co-factor in HIV transmission. The trial's purpose is to assess the reduction in HIV systemic and mucosal replication associated with valacyclovir for suppression of HSV-2 reactivation. This randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled crossover trial of 20 HIV/HSV-2 co-infected women assessed the effects of daily valacyclovir on HIV-1 levels in blood and body fluids.

Over 80% of HIV-1 infected persons are also seropositive for HSV-2. Increasingly, clinical and epidemiologic evidence show the role of HSV in increasing HIV infectiousness. The evidence suggests that that HSV is an important cofactor in HIV transmission. The trial's purpose is to assess the reduction in HIV shedding associated with valacyclovir for suppression of HSV-2 reactivation. This proof-of-concept, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled crossover trial of 20 HIV/HSV-2 co-infected men, assessed the effects of daily valacyclovir on HIV-1 levels in the plasma and rectal mucosa secretions.