2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

328788
Culture of “hook up” social networks and usefulness in HIV Prevention among males that have sex with males


Sunday, November 1, 2015

Deidre Verdun, MPA, BSW, CPS, Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, MI
Antione Martin, BA, University of Michigan-Flint, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, MI
Shandowyn L. Parker, PhD, MPH, Department of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, MI
Community based online HIV prevention has been a long standing HIV Prevention strategy.  How to effectively incorporate social media has been a hot topic in recent years. Using funds to support HIV prevention for Males that have sex with Males (MSM) Health Delivery Inc. (HDI), a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), has developed best practice and lessons learned regarding this trend in prevention outreach.

Since 2010 HDI has implemented various forms of online outreach in addition to traditional methods of face to face outreach.  When comparing trends in testing and seropositivity rates 4 years prior to implementing online outreach to 4 years of incorporating online outreach for the population of interest there is notable improvement. After introducing online outreach the HIV seropositivity increased by 54% as did identified risk behaviors. While the number of actual test preformed decreased just under 4% the increase findings suggest those tested while conducting online outreach were at highest risk. There were notable outcomes among subpopulations as well, African American/Black clientele almost doubled. In that same time period 14% of the clients tested were referred from family or friends indicating an increased reach within client’s social networks.

Online outreach strategies include social networking sites like Facebook, Micro-blogging sites like  Twitter, Photo sharing sites like Instagram, Video sharing sites like YouTube, Location based services- Check-ins like Grinder, and  phone based applications like JACK’D.

This presentation will highlight areas for future research, share lessons learned, and offer strategies for incorporating online outreach in existing HIV prevention efforts.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Communication and informatics
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs

Learning Objectives:
Discuss the online culture of “hook up” web based applications used primarily by males that have sex with males. Explain practical approaches to conducting online HIV prevention outreach. Identify strategies for using social network applications for HIV Prevention.

Keyword(s): HIV Risk Behavior, Sexual Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been co-investigator and program manager of multiple federally and state funded grants focusing on the HIV prevention. Among my scientific interests has been the development of strategies for HIV prevention among Males that have Sex with Men.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 2035.0: Sexual Behavior and HIV