Effectiveness of a video-based motivational skills-building HIV risk-reduction intervention for inner-city African American men

Interventions to reduce HIV risk behavior have shown promise but have demonstrated inconsistent effects with heterosexual men. This article reports a cognitive-behavioral HIV risk reduction intervention designed for heterosexually active African American men. Men (N = 117) recruited from a public clinic were randomly assigned to either (a) a 6-hr video-based small group motivational-skills intervention or (b) a 6-hr video-based contact-matched HIV education comparison group. Results showed men in the motivational-skills intervention reported lower rates of unprotected vaginal intercourse and higher rates of condom use at the 3-month follow-up. However, because of increased condom use in the comparison condition, differences between groups dissipated 6 months following the intervention. These findings are among the first to demonstrate effects from a motivational-skills intervention for reducing HIV risk in men who have sex with women using a model designed to facilitate transferring prevention technology to community settings.