Motivational interviewing targeting risk reduction for people with HIV: a systematic review

Due to the co-occurrence of sexual risk behaviors and substance use among HIV-positive individuals, there is often a need for HIV prevention efforts to target multiple behaviors. Motivational Interviewing (MI), a widely disseminated behavior change intervention, has demonstrated effectiveness in promoting behavior change among persons with HIV and has been utilized to target these co-occurring risk behaviors. To identify the efficacy of MI in relation to sexual risk and substance use, we conducted a systematic review of research literature published before May 2012, which focused on treatment fidelity, study design, and findings. Results suggest that MI has the potential to reduce sexual risk behavior, but the effects on reducing substance use were less consistent. We identify opportunities for future research with HIV-positive individuals, including the development of interventions assessing the effects of MI on illicit drug use, utilizing higher fidelity standards in intervention implementation and studies of transportability and cost-effectiveness.