Intervention curbs risky sex in ex-cons

NEW YORK Oct 12 (Reuters) Project START, an enhanced sexual risk-reduction intervention program, reduces risky sexual behavior by young men released from prison, researchers report in the October American Journal of Public Health.

''Some people doubt the ability and the motivation of incarcerated men to make positive changes in their lives,'' Dr.

Richard J. Wolitski from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, told Reuters Health.

''Project START shows that establishing a continuity of prevention services that start in prison and continue after release can enable these men to make changes that protect their own and their partners' health.'' ''Because most men who are incarcerated return to their communities, the health of these men is an important public health issue,'' Wolitski continued. ''These men are part of our communities, and efforts to safeguard their health benefit the health of the entire community.'' Wolitski and colleagues determined the effectiveness of a multisession risk-reduction intervention for 522 young men scheduled for release from prison.

Although there were no significant differences in outcomes between the single-session intervention group and the enhanced intervention group after the 12-week assessment, the authors report, by 24 weeks, the enhanced intervention group was significantly less likely than the single-session intervention group to report unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse during their most recent sexual encounter.

The significant differences were due to differences in unprotected intercourse with their main sexual partners, but not with their non-main partners, the results indicate.

Three months post-intervention, the differences in favor of enhanced intervention persisted, the researchers note, but again there was no difference for non-main partners.

Besides reporting less risky sexual behaviors, the investigators say, men in the enhanced intervention group were significantly less likely to be reincarcerated by the 12-week assessment. This difference was no longer significant by the 24-week assessment.

''In order to be successful, prevention programs for this population may need to address these competing needs that make it difficult for some men to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors,'' Wolitski said.

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