Intervention to help parents reduce HIV risk in gay and bisexual teens

Randomized-controlled Trial of a Parent-focused Intervention to Reduce HIV Risk in Gay and Bisexual Adolescents

Not applicable Interventional George Washington University · NCT05852600

This study is testing a program that helps parents talk to their gay or bisexual teenage sons about sexual health to see if it can lower their risk of HIV.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment350 (estimated)
Ages14 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorGeorge Washington University Academic / other
Locations1 site (Washington, District of Columbia)
Trial IDNCT05852600 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This intervention focuses on improving communication between parents and their gay or bisexual adolescent sons regarding sexual health to reduce HIV risk. The program, called Parents and Adolescents Talking about Healthy Sexuality (PATHS), involves online training for parents, lasting 45-60 minutes. A total of 350 parent-adolescent dyads will be recruited, with half being from racial or ethnic minority backgrounds. Parents will be randomly assigned to either the PATHS intervention or a control group, and both parents and adolescents will complete surveys every three months over a year to assess the intervention's effectiveness.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates include parent-adolescent dyads where the adolescent is a cisgender male aged 14-19 who identifies as gay or bisexual and lives with the parent.

Not a fit: Patients who are already diagnosed with HIV will not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this intervention could significantly reduce HIV risk among gay and bisexual adolescents by enhancing parental communication about sexual health.

How similar studies have performed: Other studies have shown promise in similar interventions aimed at improving sexual health outcomes among sexual minority youth, indicating potential for success.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

We recruit only parent-adolescent dyads for the study. Both parent and adolescent must agree to participate in order to enroll. Only parents receive the intervention. Adolescents are included in the study only for assessment purposes.

Parent inclusion criteria: Parent or legal guardian of a child with all of the following characteristics:

1. cisgender male
2. age 14-19
3. self-identifies as gay or bisexual
4. lives in the same house with parent at least 2 days per week
5. child is willing to enroll in the study and complete assessments

Adolescent inclusion criteria:

1. cisgender male
2. age 14-19
3. self-identifies as gay or bisexual
4. lives in the same house with parent at least 2 days per week
5. parent is willing to enroll in the study and be randomized to one of two intervention conditions.

Exclusion Criteria:

-- Adolescent with known HIV infection

Where this trial is running

Washington, District of Columbia

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions HivSexual Healthrandomized controlled trialparentingsexual minority youth
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.