Popular Opinion Leader (POL) On the Internet: Adapting an evidence based intervention for MSM who seek sex online

Background: HIV Diagnoses among MSM under the age of 30 increased by 33% and accounted for 44% of all new MSM diagnoses in New York City in 2006. To address both the increasing HIV rates among YMCSM and the need for more prolific prevention efforts, the Popular Opinion Leader (POL) program has been adapted and will be implemented and evaluated by a community-based organization in New York City.

Description: Objectives of the formative evaluation include identifying service needs and HIV-related risk factors among community members, and innovative ways to properly adapt the POL intervention for the internet. POL is a community-level HIV prevention intervention designed to enlist and train the most influential peers to encourage safer sex norms and behaviors through informal risk-reduction conversations.

Results: Based on preliminary, qualitative findings from the formative evaluation, this community is often ostracized for engaging in unprotected anal sex, despite simultaneously practicing safer sex. Formative work also highlighted a lack of online sex positive and harm reduction prevention messaging and identified effective methods for engaging men online (e.g. most popular websites), powerful alternative prevention messaging, and behavioral norms (e.g. lack of discussion concerning unsafe sex practices).

Conclusions: Adapting an intervention to an online environment requires significant time and resources; however is an essential ingredient in developing culturally appropriate programs. With the growing use of technology for socialization, this innovative POL model has begun “crossing borders” into the virtual world, engaging high-risk men who are difficult to reach through traditional street-based outreach methods.