A CBPR partnership increases HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM): outcome findings from a pilot test of the CyBER/testing internet intervention

Health Educ Behav. 2011 Jun;38(3):311-20. doi: 10.1177/1090198110379572. Epub 2011 Mar 10.

Abstract

The Internet has emerged as an important tool for the delivery of health promotion and disease prevention interventions. Our community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership developed and piloted CyBER/testing, a culturally congruent intervention designed to promote HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM) within existing Internet chat rooms. Using a quasi-experimental, single-group study design, cross-sectional data were collected from chat room participants, known as "chatters," at pretest (n = 346) and posttest (n = 315). Extant profile data also were collected to describe the demographics of the online population. The intervention significantly increased self-reported HIV testing among chatters overall, increasing rates from 44.5% at pretest to nearly 60% at posttest (p < .001). Furthermore, chatters who reported having both male and female sexual partners had nearly 6 times the odds of reporting HIV testing at posttest. Findings suggest that chat room-based HIV testing intervention may increase testing among MSM who may be difficult to reach in traditional physical spaces.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • AIDS Serodiagnosis / psychology
  • AIDS Serodiagnosis / statistics & numerical data*
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Bisexuality / psychology
  • Community-Based Participatory Research / methods
  • Community-Based Participatory Research / organization & administration*
  • Cultural Competency
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / diagnosis
  • HIV Infections / prevention & control*
  • HIV Infections / transmission
  • Homosexuality, Male / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Internet / statistics & numerical data*
  • Internet / trends
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • North Carolina
  • Pilot Projects
  • Risk-Taking
  • Young Adult