Comparing recruitment strategies to engage hard-to-reach men who have sex with men living with HIV with unsuppressed viral loads in four US cities: Results from HPTN 078.

Introduction: There is an urgent need to identify men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV with unsuppressed viral loads to prevent transmission. Though respondent-driven sampling (RDS) is traditionally used for hard-to-reach populations, we compare how RDS and direct recruitment (DR) perform in identifying MSM living with HIV with unsuppressed viral loads and identifying MSM with socio-demographics characteristic of hard-to-reach populations.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis among 1305 MSM who were recruited from March 2016 to December 2017 for a case management intervention trial (HPTN 078).

Acceptability of a long-acting injectable HIV prevention product among US and African women: findings from a phase 2 clinical Trial (HPTN 076).

Introduction: High HIV incidence and low adherence to daily oral PrEP among women underscore the need for more acceptable and easier to use HIV prevention products. Global demand for injectable contraception suggests that new, long-acting, injectable formulations could meet this need. We examine acceptability of a long-acting injectable PrEP among HIV-uninfected women in Zimbabwe, South Africa and two United States phase 2 trial sites.

It's all in the timing: Acceptability of a financial incentive intervention for linkage to HIV care in the HPTN 065 (TLC-Plus) study.

The HPTN 065 (TLC-Plus) study tested the feasibility and effectiveness of using financial incentives (FIs) to increase linkage to care (L2C) among individuals with newly diagnosed HIV and those out of care in the Bronx, NY and Washington, DC. Qualitative data collection with a subset of participating patients and staff focused on experiences with and attitudes about the FI intervention. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 patients and 14 site investigators.

A Randomized-Controlled Trial of Computer-based Prevention Counseling for HIV-Positive Persons (HPTN 065).

Objective: Decreasing the risk of HIV transmission from HIV-positive individuals is an important public health priority. We evaluated the effectiveness of a computer-based sexual risk reduction counseling intervention (CARE+) among HIV-positive persons enrolled in care.

Methods: HIV-positive eligible participants (N=1075) were enrolled from 11 care sites in the Bronx, NY and Washington, DC and randomized 1:1 to either a tablet-based self-administered CARE+ intervention or standard of care (SOC).

The Role of Financial Incentives Along the Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Continuum: A Qualitative Sub-study of the HPTN 065 (TLC-Plus) Study.

The stages of change (SOC) theory suggests individuals adapt incrementally to behaviors like adherence, requiring different strategies over the behavior change continuum. Offering financial incentives (FIs) is one strategy to motivate adherence. This qualitative sub-study examined adherence barriers and the role of FIs to increase viral suppression (VS) among HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 065 study participants categorized into SOC-related adherence stages based on changes from baseline to follow-up viral load tests.

"It Makes You Feel Like Someone Cares" acceptability of a financial incentive intervention for HIV viral suppression in the HPTN 065 (TLC-Plus) study.

Background: HPTN 065 (TLC-Plus) evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of providing quarterly $70 gift card financial incentives to HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) to encourage ART adherence and viral suppression, and represents the largest study to-date of a financial incentive intervention for HIV viral suppression. A post-trial qualitative substudy was undertaken to examine acceptability of the financial incentives among those receiving and implementing the intervention.

Methods: Between July and October 2013, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 72 patients and 12 investigators from 14 sites; three focus groups were conducted with 12 staff from 10 sites.