Trial Information

HIV Prevention Among Latino MSM: Evaluation of a Locally Developed Intervention

Wake Forest University is partnering with Chatham Social Health Council to conduct a
randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of Hombres Ofreciendo Liderazgo y Apoyo
(HOLA) en Grupos (Men Giving Leadership and Support in Groups) HIV risk behavior
intervention for Latino men who have sex with men (MSM), ages 18 and over, in rural North
Carolina.

The Spanish language HOLA en Grupos was developed by the Chatham Social Health Council in
close collaboration and partnership with the local Latino community, including Latino MSM,
and representatives from a local community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership
that has been in existence for nearly ten years, and has been delivered by the Council to
Latino MSM in an area the includes 6 largely rural counties for two years.

HOLA en Grupos consists of four 4-hour group sessions that combine presentations by
facilitators who are trained Latino MSM community members, activities, and scenes from a
DVD, and is delivered over a period of two weeks to groups of about 10 participants. HOLA en
Grupos was designed to increase HIV prevention knowledge, condom use and mastery, decrease
barriers to risk reduction (e.g., health-compromising aspects of machismo), enhance sexual
negotiation skills, and increase use of HIV testing, counseling, and treatment services
among intervention participants.

The Spanish language comparison condition consists of four 4-hour group sessions designed to
increase participants' knowledge about cancer, diabetes, alcohol abuse, and cardiovascular
disease, and is delivered over a period of two weeks to groups of about 10 participants. The
content focus of the comparison condition reflects the desire of community partners to
provide this type of information to community members.

A total of 300 Latino MSM (150 per condition) will be screened and if eligible, recruited in
waves of 20 men (10 per condition). Eligible individuals must self-identify as Latino or
Hispanic, be ≥ 18 years of age, report MSM behavior since age ≥ 18, and provide informed
consent. Individuals who have participated in the HOLA en Grupos, or interventions for
Latino heterosexual men (HoMBReS or HoMBReS-2), will be excluded from the study. Study
assessments will be conducted at baseline and 6-month follow-up.