Moving from web to mobile apps for HIV prevention, testing, and treatment: Lessons learned from AIDS.gov

Thirty years since the first cases of AIDS were reported in the United States, there have been key advances in HIV prevention and treatment and changes in how people access health information. One communication development is the growth of mobile phones. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 85% of U.S. adults own a cell phone, and of those, one third have used their phone to look for health information. As more people use their phones to look for health information, the public health community has an opportunity to make this information available via the mobile web.

AIDS.gov provides federal HIV information to racial and ethnic minority communities through various social media channels. As part of the comprehensive communications strategy and in alignment with the Federal Digital Strategy, AIDS.gov has repurposed their existing online and social media health communication tools/content and developed several mobile applications to best reach their target audiences including: 1) an HIV testing and services locator app; 2) a photo sharing app to address HIV stigma; and 3) an app that allows users to customize and interact with HIV/AIDS content; and 4)a responsive website that is accessibly across multiple devices.

Ultimately, AIDS.gov has found mobile to be an effective way to share HIV information and link people to resources. In addition, mobile allows people to access HIV information on a portable, private, and personal device, bringing more freedom to users on how and when they want to interact with HIV information.