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Composite Risk for HIV: A New Approach Towards Integrating Biomedical and Behavioral Strategies in Couples-Based HIV Prevention Research

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Abstract

A substantial number of new HIV infections among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and transgender women occurs in the context of primary partnerships. Given the diversity of risk reduction needs and various approaches available for reducing risk within couples, condomless sex is no longer the gold standard HIV outcome. We present a novel, comprehensive, and flexible Composite Risk for HIV (CR-HIV) approach for integrating evolving biomedical and behavioral HIV prevention strategies into couples-based HIV prevention intervention and survey research. We provide illustrative examples of the utility of the CR-HIV approach based on couples’ HIV status.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank both Dr. Gregory Greenwood and Dr. Susannah Allison for their support.

Funding

Funding was provided by National Institute of Mental Health (Grant No. R01MH110289; Grant No. R01MH115765). The first author was also supported by research education grant (Grant No. R25MH067127). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Behavior & Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Kristi E. Gamarel

  2. Center for Sexuality & Health Disparities, University of Michigan School of Nursing, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Kristi E. Gamarel & Lynae A. Darbes

  3. Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Deepalika Chakravarty & Torsten B. Neilands

  4. Center for Research and Education on Gender and Sexuality, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Deepalika Chakravarty, Colleen C. Hoff & James Lykens

  5. Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, University of Michigan School of Nursing, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Lynae A. Darbes

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  1. Kristi E. Gamarel
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  2. Deepalika Chakravarty
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  3. Torsten B. Neilands
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  4. Colleen C. Hoff
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  6. Lynae A. Darbes
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Correspondence to Kristi E. Gamarel.

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Gamarel, K.E., Chakravarty, D., Neilands, T.B. et al. Composite Risk for HIV: A New Approach Towards Integrating Biomedical and Behavioral Strategies in Couples-Based HIV Prevention Research. AIDS Behav 23, 283–288 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-018-2229-8

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