MINORITY AIDS RESEARCH INITIATIVE (MARI)

Abstract:Data show that young MSM (men who have sex with men) use the internet for instant access to large groupsof MSM and to solicit sex partners, thus increasing their risk for HIV and other STIs. To date studies have usedexisting internet chat rooms to reach MSM with HIV risk reduction education. The proposed project willattempt to reach young black MSM (YBMSM) with implicit (rather than overt, explicit) HIV prevention andhealth promotion messages through construction of a web-based social networking platform. The social mediasite will offer HIV prevention and risk reduction education in the context of broader information that targets co-occurring problems such as low self-esteem, substance abuse and mental health issues, stigma,discrimination, violence, and economic challenges. Participation in the social networking site will be exclusive,in that members will have to be 'invited' in. The exclusivity feature is designed to address the common feelingby YBMSM of a lack of privacy on open sites. The web platform will be multi-faceted, including blogs, chatrooms, discussion boards, education modules, links to other websites and social media sites, and informationspecific to the House Ball community, which is a unique sub-set of YBMSM. Data on the effectiveness of thewebsite will be gathered though surveillance of the number of hits on HIV education pages, the number of linksused to referral agencies such as testing sites, mental health clinics, substance abuse centers, and other weblocations related to health promotion and reduction of risk for transmission or acquisition of HIV. Further,surveys will be imbedded in education modules which will measure changes in knowledge and behaviors.Survey participants will be incentivized by a point system, where points can be redeemed for money. Pointscan be earned by providing demographic data, participating in surveys, or reporting positive health behaviors.The study will determine whether the constructed social media site is useful for reaching the difficult to accessgroup of YBMSM with HIV risk reduction education. In Year 1 (of 4 years), focus groups and a communityadvisory board will help guide the design of the social networking platform, as well as instruments to measureits effectiveness in reaching YBMSM with HIV prevention messages and fostering positive behavioral changes.In Year 2, the pilot program will be launched to reach a target population of YBMSM in the Carolinas (NC andSC), a region in the Southeastern U.S. which is disproportionately affected by HIV, with MSM composing 40%or more of new HIV infections and Blacks composing more than 65% of new diagnoses. After perfecting thesite content and instrumentation, the target of the social media platform will be broadened to a SoutheasternU.S. audience of YBMSM, a region with disproportionately high rates of HIV infection. Year 4 will involvecontinued data collection and analyses, and further refinement of the site. If the project is successful inproviding HIV education to and fostering positive behavioral changes in YBMSM, funding will be sought toexpand the study to a nationwide audience of YBMSM or other at-risk groups.