Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Aug 29, 2024
Date Accepted: Apr 14, 2025
A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trail of an Acceptance Based PrEP Intervention (ACTPrEP) to Engage Young Black MSM in the South: A Protocol Paper
ABSTRACT
Background:
Given the high rates of HIV infection among young, Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) in Jackson, MS, and the underutilization of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in this population, there is a critical need for innovative interventions to promote PrEP use. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a promising intervention for health behavior change.
Objective:
Develop and test an intervention, ACTPrEP, to increase PrEP utilization among YBMSM.
Methods:
We conducted in-depth interviews with 20 YBMSM and 10 PrEP staff to inform the development of ACTPrEP, an intervention that utilizes ACT to improve PrEP utilization. A pilot Randomized Controlled Trail (RCT) will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of ACTPrEP compared to Enhanced Standard of Care (ESOC) in promoting PrEP use among YBMSM (n=66).
Results:
Specific ACTPrEP adaptations from the qualitative interviews included: service setting (interventionist should be PrEP informed and well-integrated), target audience (provide check-in calls, be caring, and authentically relate), mode of delivery (flexible delivery), and cultural adaptation (normalize PrEP use). Research activities began in September 2023 and are still ongoing. RCT results will be available at a later date.
Conclusions:
This study will inform the development of a larger RCT to evaluate the efficacy of ACTPrEP for increasing PrEP use among YBMSM. Clinical Trial: NCT05087680
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