2023 Articles

Couple-Based Behavioral HIV Interventions by the Social Intervention Group: Progress, Gaps, and Future Directions

El-Bassel, Nabila; Hunt, Tim; Goddard-Eckrich, Dawn A.; Chang, Mingway; McCrimmon, Tara R.; Mukherjee, Trena; Remien, Robert H.; Terlikbayeva, Assel; Primbetova, Sholpan; Davis, Alissa; Jiwatram-Negrón, Tina; Benjamin, Shoshana N.; Witte, Susan S.; Wu, Elwin; Gilbert, Louisa

Purpose: This paper reports a review of couple-based behavioral HIV interventions conducted by the Social Intervention Group (SIG); and addresses gaps, future directions, and implications for couple-based HIV interventions. Method: We performed a literature review for SIG research on intervention and prevention studies involving couples/partners. Results: We identified nine couple-based interventions. Outcomes included reduced sexual and substance use-related risk behaviors and improved use of anti-retroviral treatment. We conducted these studies in diverse venues, including needle/syringe exchange programs, primary care clinics, and criminal justice settings. Conclusions: The findings of this review provide strong evidence for the efficacy of couple-based HIV interventions in reducing sexual HIV risks and linkage to HIV and substanceuse treatment. SIG has advanced couple-based HIV intervention research science by improving study design, intervention core components, conceptual models, and implementation strategies; which have informed scientific directions and transformed couple-based HIV prevention research.