An exploratory study of an Internet chat room-based intervention to promote HIV testing among MSM

Background: For many men who have sex with men (MSM), the Internet has emerged as an important tool for social and sexual networking and building community. CyBER/testing was an Internet chat room-based intervention found to increase HIV testing among MSM.

Methods: Our community-based participatory research partnership developed and piloted CyBER/testing. The intervention was implemented for 6 months within one geographically focused chat room designed for social and sexual networking among MSM. The intervention increased HIV testing using pre- and post-intervention cross-sectional samples. Content analysis of chat room transcripts was used to understand and characterize the intervention.

Results: The majority of chatters self-identified as White/European with a mean age of 37 years (range 18-78). About 50% self-identified as gay; nearly 20% self-identified as bisexual; with the remaining not reporting sexual identity. 1.6% reported being HIV positive.

From the qualitative data 4 domains emerged: (1) the chat room context (e.g., using chat rooms to find sexual partners, desire for HIV testing information, distrust of online outreach); (2) chatter prevention needs (e.g., STD information, risks associated with oral sex, negotiating safety) (3) existing HIV prevention strategies utilized to minimize harm (e.g., serosorting, refraining from anal sex); (4) interventionist characteristics that seem key to success (e.g., member of target community, creativity, chatting about non-prevention topics).

Conclusions: Findings suggest that chat-room MSM in the southeastern US continue to need targeted sexual health messaging. Chat-room outreach offers the potential to increase access to some MSM in order to provide sexual health information and increase HIV testing.