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. 2016 Aug;28(4):341-50.
doi: 10.1521/aeap.2016.28.4.341.

Using Grindr, a Smartphone Social-Networking Application, to Increase HIV Self-Testing Among Black and Latino Men Who Have Sex With Men in Los Angeles, 2014

Emily Huang  1 , Robert W Marlin  1 , Sean D Young  2 , Alex Medline  3 , Jeffrey D Klausner  1
Affiliations

Using Grindr, a Smartphone Social-Networking Application, to Increase HIV Self-Testing Among Black and Latino Men Who Have Sex With Men in Los Angeles, 2014

Emily Huang et al. AIDS Educ Prev. 2016 Aug.

Abstract

In Los Angeles County, about 25% of men who have sex with men (MSM) are HIV-positive but unaware of their status. An advertisement publicizing free HIV self-tests was placed on Grindr, a smartphone social-networking application, from April 17 to May 29, 2014. Users were linked to http://freehivselftests.weebly.com/ to choose a self-test delivery method: U.S. mail, a Walgreens voucher, or from a vending machine. Black or Latino MSM ≥ 18 years old were invited to take a testing experiences survey. During the campaign, the website received 11,939 unique visitors (average: 284 per day) and 334 self-test requests. Among 57 survey respondents, 55 (97%) reported that using the self-test was easy; two persons reported testing HIV positive and both sought medical care. Social networking application self-testing promotion resulted in a large number of self-test requests and has high potential to reach untested high-risk populations who will link to care if they test positive.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A banner advertisement displayed on a smartphone
Figure 2
Figure 2
Daily number of unique visits to the HIV self-test program website (17 Apr – 29 May) * The peaks in the graph correspond to dates on which broadcast messages were displayed.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Number of HIV self-test kit requests by delivery method
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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