Pilot of an Intervention to Reduce Alcohol Use and Improve ART Adherence Among Men Living with HIV with Pregnant Partners in Uganda.

Launched by SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY · Mar 21, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

Men in Uganda who drink heavily face serious health and social challenges, including difficulty staying on HIV treatment, which increases the risk of passing HIV to their partners. Pregnant women in serodiscordant relationships, where the male partner has HIV but the woman does not, are at especially high risk of infection. Reducing alcohol use and improving HIV treatment adherence in men is critical to protecting both their partners and future children from HIV.

To address this issue, researchers previously developed Kisoboka ("It is possible"), an intervention designed to help men reduce...

Gender

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Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • FOR MEN
• • 1. living with HIV;
• • 2. AUDIT-C positive (≥4) indicating potential hazardous drinking;
• • 3. \>6 months since initial antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation;
• • 4. an indicator of potential suboptimal treatment as prevention (TasP) either: (i) last HIV viral load test (within 6 months) was detectable (\>20) or (ii) last viral load test between 6 and 13 months ago was detectable (\>20) and reports missing ≥2 ART doses in the past 2 weeks or (iii) a lack of viral load test results for the prior 13 months in clinic records and reports missing ≥2 ART doses in the past 2 weeks
• • 5. not planning to move from the area within the next 6 months;
• • 6. have their own mobile phone and can be reached via phone.
• • FOR WOMEN
• • 1. 18+ years of age (or emancipated minor)
• • 2. Pregnant
• • 3. HIV negative
• • FOR COUPLES (IF INDIVIDUAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA ABOVE ARE MET)
• • 1. married/living together \>6 months;
• • 2. planning to stay together \>6 months
• • 3. lived in the area for \>3 months and
• • 4. not planning to move within \<6 months.
• • 5. similar responses on Couple Verification Screening (CVS) form, an instrument to determine if couples are legitimate (e.g., asking each person what they ate the last time they shared a meal with their partner).
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • FOR MEN
• • 1. visibly intoxicated at enrollment (eligible to enroll when not intoxicated);
• • 2. does not speak Luganda or English;
• • 3. currently receiving a majority of work payments via mobile money/digital payments;
• • 4. participated in the Kisoboka pilot RCT;
• • 5. unable to read basic Luganda or English
• • FOR WOMEN For safety purposes, we will not enroll women who do not feel they can safely participate in the study.