Preventing risky sex during drinking for men who have sex with men
Alcohol and "Heat of the Moment" Sexual Decision Making among MSM: Identifying Mechanisms of Sexual Risk and Promoting Behavior Change Through Brief Intervention
This project offers brief counseling and supportive text messages to help men who have sex with men make safer choices when drinking and sexually aroused.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University (Charles River Campus) NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11124727 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be offered brief, personalized counseling that combines motivational interviewing and cognitive strategies, plus ongoing text-message support to reinforce safer choices. The team builds on lab work showing alcohol increases arousal and lowers condom motivation, and they will collect real-world, moment-by-moment reports to see how drinking and arousal affect decisions. The research links those reports with targeted interventions to boost condom motivation and reduce reliance on effortful decision-making when intoxicated. Together the counseling, personalized feedback, and texts aim to reduce drinking-related condomless sex.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Men who have sex with men, age 21 or older, who drink alcohol and sometimes have sex while intoxicated are the ideal participants.
Not a fit: People who do not drink alcohol, are not men who have sex with men, or already consistently use condoms are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower alcohol-related condomless sex and reduce HIV risk among men who have sex with men.
How similar studies have performed: Previous laboratory studies and a small pilot of this combined counseling-plus-text approach showed reductions in drinking and condomless sex, though larger real-world trials are still needed.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston University (Charles River Campus) — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Palfai, Tibor P. — Boston University (Charles River Campus)
- Study coordinator: Palfai, Tibor P.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.