Couples-Focused Behavioral Interventions for Prevention of HIV: Systematic Review of the State of Evidence
Open accessAbstract
HIV is frequently transmitted in the context of partners in a committed relationship, thus couples-focused HIV prevention interventions are a potentially promising modality for reducing infection. We conducted a systematic review of studies testing whether couples-focused behavioral prevention interventions reduce HIV transmission and risk behavior. We included studies using randomized controlled trial designs, quasi-randomized controlled trials, and nonrandomized controlled studies. We searched five electronic databases and screened 7,628 records. Six studies enrolling 1,084 index couples met inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Results across studies consistently indicated that couples-focused programs reduced unprotected sexual intercourse and increased condom use compared with control groups. However, studies were heterogeneous in population, type of intervention, comparison groups, and outcomes measures, and so meta-analysis to calculate pooled effects was inappropriate. Although couples-focused approaches to HIV prevention appear initially promising, additional research is necessary to build a stronger theoretical and methodological basis for couples-focused HIV prevention, and future interventions must pay closer attention to same-sex couples, adolescents, and young people in relationships.
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Interventions targeting couples have been effective in lowering sexual risk.
“Couples-based interventions have been efficacious at reducing sexual risk [80]”
From Relationship power and sexual violence among HIV-positive women in rural Uganda (2016) · cites this paper as [80]
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- Authors
- Burton, J., Darbes, L. A., & Operario, D.
- Affiliations
- University of Oxford (GB)
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- Brown University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Operario, Don
- Venue
- AIDS and Behavior
- Published
- 2008-10-09
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-10
- ISSN
- 1090-7165 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-3254
- PMC
- PMC3640442
- OpenAlex
- W2040315999
- Cited by
- 303
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 56 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 37 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 1.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- AIDS and Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- International AIDS Society
- National Institute of Mental Health (K08MH072380)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA018621)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
- Keywords
- HIV transmission, behavioral interventions, condom use, unprotected sex, sexual risk behavior, committed relationships, same-sex couples
- MeSH terms
- Family Characteristics, Health Promotion, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Sexual Behavior, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Health Behavior, HIV Infections, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
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