Reducing the risk of HIV transmission in China among men who have sex with men: A feasibility study of the motivational interviewing counseling method

6^th World Nursing and Healthcare Conference

August 15-17, 2016 London, UK

Xianhong Li, Jia Chen, Honghong Wang, Guoping He, Ann Williams

Xiangya Nursing School of Central South University, China
Yale School of Nursing, USA

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

The HIV prevalence among Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) is on a rapid increase during recent years. Successfully reducing high risk sexual behaviors of MSM is an important strategy for controlling the HIV epidemic. In some parts of the world, motivational interviewing (MI) has shown effectiveness in reducing unprotected anal intercourse, but the feasibility and effectiveness of MI has not been evaluated among Chinese MSM. This randomized control pilot study aimed to test the feasibility of Motivational Interviewing (MI) in reducing high-risk sexual behaviors among MSM in Changsha, China. Eighty MSM were randomly assigned to either the MI group, where participants received a three-session MI intervention over 4 weeks, or the control group, where participants received usual counseling from peer educators. High-risk behavior indicators and HIV knowledge level were evaluated at baseline and 3 months after intervention. The results showed that MI significantly improved consistent anal condom use in the MI group compared to everyone at baseline (OR 5.7, 95% CI: 1.63-20.2). However, there was no significant change in consistent condom use for oral sex or number of sexual partners between the two groups over time. The average HIV knowledge score improved equally in both groups over time (P=0.06). This study demonstrates that an intervention using MI was feasible and partially effective among MSM in China in increasing condom use. However, the sustainability of MI to improve consistent condom use among MSM in China needs to be evaluated further.

Biography :

Xianhong Li, PhD is an Associate Professor and the Vice Dean for research in Xiangya Nursing School of Central South University. She has received research training in Yale School of Nursing from 2007-2008, and in UCLA in USA from 2014-2015. She has been the PIs for 5 projects from different funding resources. She has published 17 articles with 7 indexed in SCI journals. In 2009, she got the Ray Wu Prize of Excellence to graduate students of life sciences in USA and in 2010 she got the third prize of Science and Technology Progress Award in Hunan Province of China.

Email: xianhong_li228@hotmail.com