Department of Nursing, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan.
School of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan.
J Med Internet Res. 2021 Mar 26;23(3):e25031. doi: 10.2196/25031.
Improving HIV screening in key populations is a crucial strategy to achieve the goal of eliminating AIDS in 2030. Social networking platforms can be used to recruit high risk-taking men who have sex with men (MSM) to promote the delivery of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) as mobile HIV testing. Therefore, client recruitment and availability of mobile HIV testing through social networking platforms requires further evaluation.
The aim of this study is to compare the effects of targeting high risk-taking MSM and HIV case finding between two mobile HIV testing recruitment approaches: through the traditional website-based approach and through social networking platforms.
A comparative study design and propensity score matching was applied. The traditional VCT model, that is, the control group, recruited MSM through a website, and a trained research assistant visited the walk-in testing station at a gay village on Friday and Saturday nights. The social networking VCT model, the experimental group, recruited MSM from social networking platforms by periodically reloading into and conducting web-based discussions on dating apps and Facebook. The participants then referred to others in their social networks via a popular messenger app in Taiwan. The test was conducted at a designated time and place during weekdays by a trained research assistant. Across both modes of contact, before the mobile HIV testing, participants needed to provide demographic characteristics and respond to a questionnaire about HIV risk-taking behaviors.
We recruited 831 MSM over 6 months, with a completion rate of 8.56% (616/7200) in the traditional VCT model and 20.71% (215/1038) in the social networking VCT model. After propensity score matching, there were 215 MSM in each group (mean age 29.97, SD 7.61 years). The social networking model was more likely to reach MSM with HIV risk-taking behaviors, that is, those seeking sexual activity through social media, having multiple sexual partners and unprotected anal intercourse, having experience of recreational drug use, and never having or not regularly having an HIV test, compared with the traditional model. HIV positive rates (incidence rate ratio 3.40, 95% CI 1.089-10.584; P=.03) and clinic referral rates (incidence rate ratio 0.03, 95% CI 0.001-0.585; P=.006) were significantly higher among those in the social networking VCT model than in the traditional VCT model.
Through effective recruitment strategies on social networking platforms, the social networking VCT mode can be smoothly promoted, as compared with the traditional VCT model, to target high risk-taking MSM and increase testing outcomes.
在重点人群中提高 HIV 筛查率是实现 2030 年消除艾滋病目标的关键策略。社交网络平台可用于招募高风险男男性行为者 (MSM)，以促进提供自愿咨询和检测 (VCT) 作为移动 HIV 检测。因此，通过社交网络平台进行客户招募和提供移动 HIV 检测需要进一步评估。
本研究旨在比较两种移动 HIV 检测招募方法（传统基于网站的方法和社交网络平台）在针对高风险 MSM 和 HIV 病例发现方面的效果。
采用比较研究设计和倾向评分匹配。传统 VCT 模型（对照组）通过网站招募 MSM，培训研究助理在周五和周六晚上在同性恋村的现场检测站进行访问。社交网络 VCT 模型（实验组）通过定期重新加载约会应用程序和 Facebook 上的网络讨论，从社交网络平台招募 MSM。然后，参与者通过台湾流行的信使应用程序将其他人推荐给他们的社交网络。在工作日，由培训研究助理在指定时间和地点进行测试。在两种联系方式中，在进行移动 HIV 检测之前，参与者需要提供人口统计学特征，并回答有关 HIV 风险行为的问卷。
我们在 6 个月内招募了 831 名 MSM，传统 VCT 模型的完成率为 8.56%（616/7200），社交网络 VCT 模型的完成率为 20.71%（215/1038）。经过倾向评分匹配后，每组各有 215 名 MSM（平均年龄 29.97，SD 7.61 岁）。与传统模式相比，社交网络模式更有可能接触到有 HIV 风险行为的 MSM，即那些通过社交媒体寻求性活动、有多个性伴侣和无保护的肛交、有娱乐性药物使用经历、从未或不规律进行 HIV 检测的 MSM。与传统模式相比，社交网络 VCT 模式的 HIV 阳性率（发病率比 3.40，95%CI 1.089-10.584；P=.03）和临床转诊率（发病率比 0.03，95%CI 0.001-0.585；P=.006）显著更高。
通过社交网络平台上的有效招募策略，与传统 VCT 模式相比，社交网络 VCT 模式可以顺利推广，以针对高风险 MSM 并增加检测结果。
