The SPOT Project : Motivational Interviewing in Conjunction With Rapid HIV Testing

In 2009, a team of researchers from Montreal, Canada, implemented SPOT, an intervention aimed at reducing HIV transmission among men who have sex with men by offering rapid HIV testing in a community setting. During the first phase, counseling based on Quebec guidelines for rapid HIV testing was offered (standard counseling - SC) and in the second phase, counseling based on motivational interviewing (MIC) was developed and validated. The current phase of the project aims to strengthen the work undertaken during previous phases. The objective of the study is to assess the short and medium term effect of MIC on the occurrence of at-risk anal intercourse and its cognitive determinants. Participants will be randomly assigned to either SC or MIC, and will respond to a baseline questionnaire documenting their sexual behavior and psychosexual profile prior to the intervention at the start of their initial visit (T0). The effect of counseling will be assessed following the intervention at the end of the initial visit (T1), at 3 months after the initial visit (T2) and at 6 months after the initial visit (T3).