Press Release

 

Research Participants Wanted for New HIV

Disclosure Intervention Program

 

The “Disclosure to family? You choose” intervention for HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) is designed to help men improve their HIV-disclosure skills and gain comfort and confidence disclosing to family members.  Dr. Julianne Serovich, Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science in the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University, developed the pilot intervention in conjunction with other HIV researchers, prevention specialists, and HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM), and is now recruiting research participants to test the program’s effectiveness. 

 

Dr. Serovich is interested in recruiting HIV-positive MSM who are 18 years old or older, feel distressed about disclosure (or find themselves unable to disclose), and are willing to participate in 5 sessions over a three month-period.  Each session is expected to last approximately 1 ˝ hours, and participants are paid $25 for their evaluation of each session.

 

Enrollment begins November 19, 2007 and will continue for several months.

 

Participants are randomly assigned to one of two conditions: person facilitated face-to-face individual sessions, or a wait-list control group.  Participants will engage in several exercises to help learn disclosure strategies, identify costs and rewards of particular strategies, ways to minimize disclosure costs, and how to deal with reactions. 

 

Participation is voluntary and all information associated with this study will remain strictly confidential.  If you have questions or would like to discuss eligibility, please contact the project office at (614) 688-4168.  Minorities are especially encouraged to participate.