Maintenance of safer sexual behaviours: evaluation of a theory-based intervention for HIV seropositive men with haemophilia and their female partners

A theory‐based HIV risk‐reduction intervention was developed for HIV‐positive men with haemophilia and their HIV‐negative female romantic partners. The intervention was based on Prochaska and DiClemente’s Transtheoretical Model which describes behaviour change as an incremental, stage‐based process. The intervention targeted both communication about safer sex and safer sex behaviours (consistent condom use or abstinence from vaginal intercourse). A total of 255 males and 158 females from six funded haemophilia treatment centres or patient organizations (and 27 associated subsites) participated in the study. Baseline and follow‐up (15 months after baseline) measures were administered to assess safer sexual behaviours, communication about safer sex and condom self‐efficacy. A quasi‐experimental, repeated measures design was utilized to compare two naturally occurring groups; those who received the full intervention package and those who received incomplete or no intervention components. Significant intervention effects for safer sex behaviours, communication about safer sex and condom self‐efficacy were identified for the male participants, with those receiving the full intervention package demonstrating better outcomes at follow‐up. Women who received the full intervention package were more likely to report the use of a condom by their male partner during the last act of vaginal intercourse.