A randomised controlled trial of a telephone administered brief HIV risk reduction intervention amongst men who have sex with men prescribed post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV after sexual exposure in the UK: Project PEPSE.

Background: In western countries, men who have sex with men (MSM) are most affected by HIV and increasingly likely to engage in risky sexual behaviour. MSM who experience a potential sexual exposure to HIV (PEPSE) and receive a preventative regimen of anti-HIV treatment are at particularly high risk of acquiring HIV and could potentially benefit from targeted risk reduction behavioural interventions such as motivational interviewing (MI).

Purpose: The aim of this trial was to examine the impact of augmented MI (MI plus information provision and behavioural skills building), over and above routine care, on reducing risky sexual behaviour in MSM prescribed PEPSE. Secondary aims of the research were to examine whether the intervention reduced sexually transmitted infections (STI) and further requests for PEP.

Methods: A parallel-group pragmatic randomised controlled trial was conducted with 175 MSM recruited from five sexual health (SH) clinics in the south east of England. The intervention was two fixed-duration sessions of telephone administered augmented MI. A manual guided the selection of individualised persuasive communication strategies based on underlying change mechanisms specified by the Information, Motivation and Behavioural Skills (IMB) model. Primary outcomes were the number of receptive and active anal intercourse (AI) partners, the use of condoms every time during receptive and active AI and the use of condoms sometimes during receptive and active AI.

Results: There were no significant impacts on sexual risk behaviour or any of the psychological measures, and no discernible reduction in requests for repeat PEP or rates of STIs within a year.

Conclusion: Our behavioural intervention of augmented MI did not affect risky sexual behaviour, rates of further PEP and STIs, and psychological factors, in MSM prescribed PEPSE.

Trial Registration Numbers: UKCRN ID:11436; ISRCTN00746242.