Moon and Sun Brothers — a community HIV prevention program for Spanish-speaking Latino men who have sex with men
Moon and Sun Brothers: A Community Prevention Intervention (Hermanos de Luna y Sol)
This program tries group retreats, weekly discussions, community events, and counseling to see if they reduce sexual HIV risk and boost self‑esteem and social support for Spanish‑speaking Latino immigrant bisexual men and men who have sex with men.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 360 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | San Francisco State University Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (San Francisco, California and 1 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT07475702 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This quasi-experimental community intervention compares participants who receive a multi-component program with control participants who do not receive activities. Intervention components include an eight-hour group retreat, weekly discussion groups, community events and civic engagement, and prevention counseling delivered in Spanish. Outcomes include sexual risk behaviors (including condomless sex and PrEP use), help-seeking behavior, self‑esteem, and social support, with analyses testing whether self‑esteem and social support mediate effects on sexual risk. The study enrolls Spanish-speaking Latino/x/e men aged 18+ in San Francisco and Chicago who have had sex with men in the past year.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal participants are Spanish‑speaking Latino/x/e men aged 18 or older who have had sex with men in the past year, live near San Francisco or Chicago, have access to a smartphone or computer, and are willing to join group activities.
Not a fit: People who are under 18, do not speak Spanish, do not have recent male sexual partners, or who already participated in the Hermanos de Luna y Sol program are unlikely to benefit from joining this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could lower sexual HIV risk and strengthen self‑esteem and social support among Latino immigrant men, potentially reducing new infections and improving overall well‑being.
How similar studies have performed: Prior community-based, peer-group HIV prevention programs for Latino MSM have shown some success in reducing risk behaviors, but effects vary and this particular multi-component model combining retreats, civic engagement, and counseling is relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Identify as male. * Latino/x/e * Report having sex with men only, or both men and women in the last 12 months. * Speaks, reads/writes in Spanish. * ≥18 years of age. * Has access to a computer, laptop, tablet or smart phone device. * Be willing to participate in the study. * Be able to provide informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Populations younger than 18 years. * Individuals who have participated in an Hermanos de Luna y Sol program in either the intervention or control group locations.
Where this trial is running
San Francisco, California and 1 other locations
- San Francisco State University — San Francisco, California, United States (Recruiting)
- Chicago Queer Latine Collaborative — Chicago, Illinois, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Emma V Sanchez-Vaznaugh, ScD
- Email: emmav@sfsu.edu
- Phone: 415-405-2832
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.