Jeffrey T. Parsons, Ph.D., is an Professor of Psychology at Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY) and the Co-Director of the Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training (CHEST). He is also a member of the doctoral faculty in the Social-Personality subprogram and the Director of the Health Psychology concentration at the Graduate Center-CUNY.

Dr. Parsons' research revolves around issues concerning HIV/AIDS. His approach tends to begin with formative research studies (both qualitative and quantitative) which are designed to understand the particular needs and issues of an area, and then move into intervention development and testing, in order to assess the efficacy of new programs designed to promote behavior change. Most of Jeff's work centers on sexual risk behavior change, but reducing alcohol and other drug use and improving adherence to HIV medications are also the focus of some of the current interventions being tested. Jeff's work has been primarily with those who are already HIV+ (including persons with hemophilia, men who have sex with men, youth, injection drug users), although some current studies also involve HIV negative persons.

Previously, Dr. Parsons served as the Principal Investigator for the New York Site for three projects funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 1) The Seropositive Urban Men’s Study – a formative study of issues facing HIV+ MSM; 2) The Seropositive Urban Drug Injectors Study – a formative study of issues facing HIV+ men and women who continue to inject drugs; and 3) The Seropositive Urban Men’s Intervention Trial – a randomized clinical trial of a large group intervention for HIV+ gay/bisexual men designed to reduce unsafe sex. He was also the Principal Investigator for Positive Choices, an intervention study for HIV+ men who have sex with men focused on their drinking and risky sexual practices, funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Dr. Parsons’ other research has included an examination of factors related to adolescent risk-taking, sexual behaviors and other issues facing gay/bisexual male sex workers, and HIV issues among persons with hemophilia. Dr. Parsons has been involved in the development and testing of behavioral interventions designed to impact the lives of those living with HIV for over ten years. His interventions tend to combine elements of the Transtheoretical Model of Stages of Change and Social Cognitive Theory, and his recent focus has been on the integration of MI and CBT approaches to behavior change.

Dr. Parsons received his Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the University of Houston in 1992. He was appointed to the faculty of New Jersey City University in 1992, where he remained as a professor until 2000 when he moved to CUNY.

Dr. Parsons is a member of the International Association of Motivational Interviewing Trainers (IAMIT) and has provided numerous MI trainings to HIV clinics, medical and psychosocial providers, and other individuals incorporating MI into their clinical work. Dr. Parsons serves as a consultant on a number of grant funded studies using MI to promote HIV-related behavior change. He is the Vice President of the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (www.sash.net), the President of the Eastern Region of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (www.sexualscience.org), and a former member of the Committee on Psychology and AIDS (COPA) of the American Psychological Association. He is also a member of the Adolescent Medicine Leadership Group and the Behavioral Leadership Group for the multi-site Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions.

Dr. Parsons’ work has been published in numerous journals including AIDS, AIDS Care, AIDS Education & Prevention, AIDS and Behavior, Addictive Behaviors, Archives of Sexual Behavior, Journal of Adolescence, Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity, Journal of Health Psychology, Journal of Homosexuality, Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, Journal of Gay and Lesbian Psychotherapy, Journal of Adolescent Health, Pediatrics, Journal of Pediatric Psychology, and Journal of Drug Issues. He is a member of the Editorial Board of AIDS and Behavior, AIDS Education and Prevention, Archives of Sexual Behavior, and the Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality. His work has been presented at numerous national and international conferences. He has served as a member of grant review panels for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Parsons is also actively involved in video production related to HIV prevention efforts. With his colleague Dr. Heather Huszti, he developed the first training package (including a training video, workbook, and manual) focused on client-centered counseling from the Stages of Change approach for HIV sexual risk behaviors with HIV+ persons. More recently, he was the Executive Producer of two educational videos targeting HIV+ gay/bisexual men: The Gay Dating Game (a video that highlights the issues HIV+ men go through in getting into new relationships) and The Biggest Mess (a video that highlights the negative effects of drug use on the health, immune system, medication adherence, and sexual risk practices of HIV+ men).

Finally, Dr. Parsons also proudly serves as the Mother of all D.I.V.A.s (Drag Initiative to Vanquish AIDS) with the alter ego of Mrs. Loofah Styles.

Selected Publications:
Parsons, J.T ., Koken, J.A., & Bimbi, D.S. (in press). Looking beyond HIV: Eliciting individual and community needs of male Internet escorts. Journal of Homosexuality .

Parsons, J.T ., & Bimbi, D.S. (in press). Intentional Unprotected Anal Sex (Barebacking): From behavior to identity. AIDS and Behavior.

Parsons, J.T ., Kelly, B.C., Bimbi, D.S., Muench, F., & Morgenstern, J. (in press). Accounting for the social triggers of sexual compulsivity. Journal of Addictive Diseases.

Parsons, J.T ., Kelly, B., Bimbi, D.S., DiMaria, L., Wainberg, M., & Morgenstern, J. (in press). Explanations for the origins of sexual compulsivity among gay and bisexual men . Archives of Sexual Behavior.

Parsons, J.T. , Halkitis, P.N., & Bimbi, D. (2006). Club drug use among young adults frequenting dance clubs and other social venues in New York City. Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse, 15(3), 1-13.

Parsons, J.T ., Severino, J., Nanin, J., Punzalan, J.P., von Sternberg, K., Missildine, W., & Frost, D. (2006). Positive, negative, unknown: Assumptions of HIV status among HIV-positive men who have sex with men. AIDS Education and Prevention, 18(2), 139-149.

Parsons, J.T ., Kelly, B.C., & Wells, B.E. (2006). Differences in club drug use between heterosexual and lesbian/bisexual women. Addictive Behaviors, 31(12), 2344-2349.

Parsons, J.T . (2005). Motivating the unmotivated: A Treatment model for barebackers. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Psychotherapy, 9(3/4), 134-152.

Parsons, J.T ., Bimbi, D.S., Koken, J.A., & Halkitis, P.N. (2005). Factors related to childhood sexual abuse among gay/bisexual male escorts. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 14(2), 1-23.

Parsons, J.T ., Schrimshaw, E.W., Wolitski, R.J., Halkitis, P.N., Purcell, D.W., Hoff, C.C., & Gomez, C. (2005). Sexual harm reduction practices of HIV seropositive gay and bisexual men: Serosorting, strategic positioning, and withdrawal before ejaculation. AIDS, 19 (S1), 13-26.

Parsons, J.T ., Rosof, E., Punzalan, J.C., & DiMaria, L. (2005). Integration of motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy to improve HIV medication adherence and reduce substance use among HIV-positive men and women: Results of a pilot project. AIDS Patient Care and STDs, 19 (1), 31-39.

Parsons, J.T ., Kutnick, A., Halkitis, P.N., Punzalan, J.C., & Carbonari, J.P. (2005). Sexual risk behaviors and substance use among alcohol abusing HIV+ men who have sex with men. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 37(1), 11-26.

Parsons, J.T ., Schrimshaw, E.W., Bimbi, D.S., Wolitski, R.J., Gomez, C.A., & Halkitis, P.N. (2005). Consistent, inconsistent, and non-disclosure to casual sexual partners among HIV-seropositive gay and bisexual men. AIDS, 19 (S1), 87-98.

Parsons, J.T., Editor. (2005). Contemporary Research in Sex Work. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.