Developing and Assessing a Male Engagement Intervention for Option B+ in Malawi

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Candidate: I am an infectious diseases epidemiologist committed to reducing HIV incidence in resource- limited settings through combination HIV prevention. My career goal is to be an epidemiology professor with a robust combination HIV prevention research portfolio. As an epidemiologist with behavioral science exposure, I am well positioned to achieve this goal. However, to compete successfully for R01 funding, I would benefit from a brief period of mentored training and research. I have extensive experience in the design and analysis of behavioral research, but limited experience in the design and delivery of theory-driven behavioral interventions. In a two-year mentored phase, both my training and research activities will focus on cultivating skills for designing and delivering theory-driven behavioral intervention. I have assembled an exceptional team of mentors to support this goal: Dr. William C. Miller (primary mentor), Dr. Mina Hosseinipour (primary co- mentor), and Drs. Nuala McGrath, Carol Golin, and Suzanne Maman (co-mentors). All members of the team have prolific scientific accomplishments and extensive experience in the design, implementation and evaluation of combination HIV prevention approaches in sub-Saharan Africa. They are committed to supporting me and collaborating with each other. Mentored Phase Research (K99, years 1-2): In sub-Saharan Africa, strategies to increase HIV testing among men and engage them in HIV prevention, care, and treatment are urgently needed. Such engagement can have treatment benefits for HIV-infected men, prevention benefits for HIV-uninfected men, and treatment benefits for their HIV-infected female partners. Option B+, Malawi s program for providing immediate, lifelong combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) to all HIV-infected pregnant women at the time of diagnosis, is a promising setting for engaging male partners in care. Within Option B+, I will develop an intervention that uses contract partner notification to recruit male partners and then engage them in a couple-based intervention with their HIV-infected female partner (Aim 1). The intervention will be guided by formative research and the dyad-level Interdependence Theory and aimed at improving linkage to care for HIV-infected male partners, preventing HIV acquisition for HIV-uninfected male partners, and promoting cART retention for HIV-infected female partners. Independent Phase Research (R00, Years 3-5): I will conduct a randomized controlled trial (N=500 couples) to assess intervention effectiveness at one year. I will assess whether the intervention increases HIV testing and linkage to care among HIV-infected male sex partners (Aim 2); identifies HIV-discordant couples, and decreases the likelihood of HIV exposure for HIV- uninfected male sex partners (Aim 3); and improves cART retention and viral suppression for all female partners (Aim 4). Future Directions: The R00 results will inform an R01 with longer-term viral suppression and HIV-incidence outcomes. I will transition from a mentored postdoctoral research associate to an independent investigator capable of designing behavioral interventions and leading combination HIV prevention trials.