This study is a randomized controlled trial that will compare an enhanced HIV counseling intervention called the Bruthas Program to a standard HIV counseling and testing program. The trial aims to recruit 400 African American men who have sex with men but do not identify as gay from the San Francisco Bay Area. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either the enhanced counseling intervention focusing on identity, safer sex skills, and regular HIV testing or the standard program. The effectiveness of the enhanced intervention will be evaluated based on whether it reduces sexual risk behavior more than the standard program based on behavioral assessments at 6 and 9 month follow ups.

1. A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Bruthas Program
Investigators: Emily A. Arnold (Academic PI) and Stephanie Cornwell (Community Co-PI)
Project Partners: Michael Benjamin, Raysean Ford, William Stewart, Shakema Snow,
Elizabeth Bartmess, Stuart Gaffney, Susan Kegeles, Carla Dillard Smith, Don Operario, Tor
Neilands, and Lance Pollack
This study is a randomized controlled trial of the Bruthas Program, an enhanced HIV counseling
intervention, which involves HIV counseling and testing (HIV-CT) plus a series of individual
sexual health promotion counseling sessions. The Bruthas Program will be compared to a
standard program involving HIV counseling, testing and referral to general case management
services. The enhanced counseling intervention sessions will address: (a) increasing comfort with
one’s personal identity, (b) building safer sex skills, and (c) increasing regular HIV testing for
men who are negative. A sample of 400 African American MSMW who do not identify as gay
will be recruited from the San Francisco Bay Area. After receiving HIV counseling and testing,
half will be randomly assigned to the enhanced intervention condition and half randomly
assigned to the standard program. All participants will complete baseline, 6 month follow up,
and 9 month follow up behavioral risk assessments using an audio computer-assisted interview.
A subset of participants will also complete post-intervention qualitative interviews to provide in-
depth experiential insight into the intervention process. The effectiveness of the enhanced
counseling intervention will be evaluated by the primary outcome, which is the reduction of
sexual risk behavior among men participating in the enhanced intervention compared to men in a
standard HIV-CT program. This work is a collaboration between the Center for AIDS Prevention
Studies (University of California, San Francisco) and the California Prevention and Education
Project (CAL-PEP) in Oakland, CA. The team works out of a shared understanding that service
providers, researchers, and community members must collaboratively work together to create
solutions that can mitigate the spread of HIV/AIDS in the African American community.