Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for Health

Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18+
SponsorBrown University

About this trial

This randomized controlled trial will test the efficacy of "PrEP for Health," a behavioral intervention to improve the use of antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among at-risk people who inject drugs (PWID) in two syringe service program (SSP) settings in Lawrence and Boston/Cambridge, Massachusetts. The investigators will equally randomize 200 PWID to receive either (a) the "PrEP for Health" intervention condition involving theory-informed HIV and PrEP education, motivational interviewing, problem-solving and planning, and ongoing patient navigation (n=100), or (b) the standard of care condition involving PrEP information and referrals (n=100). Successful PrEP uptake (via medical/pharmacy records), post-treatment PrEP adherence (assessed at 3 months via drug levels in hair), and longer-term PrEP adherence (assessed at 6 and 12 months via drug levels in hair) will be evaluated. The degree to which intervention efficacy occurs through specific conceptual mediators and differs according to hypothesized moderators will also be evaluated.

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

HIV-uninfected (verified by rapid/4th generation test)

Reporting past-month injection of any drugs

One or more HIV risk behaviors (past-month receptive syringe sharing, transactional sex, or condomless sex with an HIV-infected or unknown-status partner)

Not currently on and never taken PrEP

Disqualifiers

Unable to provide informed consent due to severe mental or physical illness, cognitive impairment, or substance intoxication at the time of enrollment

Living in Massachusetts (MA) for <3 months

Planning to move out of MA within a year

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

  • HIV and PrEP education

    Other intervention

    Navigators will deliver Social Cognitive Theory-informed HIV and PrEP education.

  • Motivational interviewing

    Behavioral

    Bachelors-level PrEP Navigators who are trained in motivational interviewing (MI) will use MI to promote the behavioral intervention.

  • Problem-solving and planning

    Behavioral

    Bachelors-level PrEP Navigators will assist participants with problem-solving and planning.

  • Patient navigation

    Behavioral

    Ongoing PrEP navigation support to promote participants' initial and continued engagement with PrEP clinics affiliated with the two study sites

  • PrEP information

    Other intervention

    A brief video that describes what PrEP is and how it works to prevent HIV via sexual and injection transmission will be shown to participants.

  • Referrals

    Other intervention

    Study staff will provide basic information about PrEP and referrals to PrEP clinicians.

Treatment groups

200 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups
Group A: PrEP for healthExperimental treatment 5 interventions
Group B: Standard of careActive comparator 2 interventions

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

PrEP uptake

PrEP uptake will be assessed via medical/pharmacy records

Time frame
3 months
2

Post-treatment PrEP adherence

PrEP adherence will be assessed by drug levels in hair samples at the acute follow up time point (3 months post-baseline)

Time frame
3 months

Secondary outcomes

1

Longer-term PrEP adherence

Longer-term PrEP adherence will be assessed by drug levels in hair samples at 6 and 12-month post-baseline

Time frame
6 and 12 months

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

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Brown University

Lead sponsor

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Collaborator

The Fenway Institute

Collaborator

AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts

Collaborator

Greater Lawrence Family Health Center

Collaborator

University of California, San Diego

Collaborator

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Collaborator