Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Apr 13;5(4):e46.
doi: 10.2196/mhealth.6436.

Technology Use and Preferences for Mobile Phone-Based HIV Prevention and Treatment Among Black Young Men Who Have Sex With Men: Exploratory Research

Ian W Holloway  1 , Terrell Ja Winder  2 , Charles Herbert Lea III  3 , Diane Tan  4 , Donte Boyd  1 , David Novak  5
Affiliations

Technology Use and Preferences for Mobile Phone-Based HIV Prevention and Treatment Among Black Young Men Who Have Sex With Men: Exploratory Research

Ian W Holloway et al. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. .

Abstract

Background: Black young men who have sex with men (BYMSM) experience higher human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) incidence than their white and Latino counterparts.

Objective: The aim of our study was to understand BYMSM's preferences for mobile phone-based HIV prevention and treatment in order to inform culturally tailored interventions to reduce the spread of HIV and improve HIV treatment outcomes in this population.

Methods: Qualitative focus groups (N=6) with BYMSM aged 18-29 years (N=41; 46%, 19/41 HIV-positive) were conducted to elucidate their preferences for the design and delivery of mobile phone-based HIV prevention and treatment interventions. A modified grounded theory approach to data analysis was undertaken using ATLAS.ti textual analysis software.

Results: Participants preferred holistic health interventions that did not focus exclusively on HIV prevention and treatment. Issues of privacy and confidentiality were paramount. Participants preferred functionality that enables discreet connections to culturally competent health educators and treatment providers who can address the range of health and psychosocial concerns faced by BYMSM.

Conclusions: Mobile phone-based HIV prevention has the potential to increase engagement with HIV prevention and treatment resources among BYMSM. For these approaches to be successful, researchers must include BYMSM in the design and creation of these interventions.

Keywords: AIDS; African Americans; HIV; bisexuality; homosexuality; men’s health; mobile applications; young adult.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

References

    1. CDC. [2017-01-18]. HIV among gay and bisexual men https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/msm/
    1. CDC. [2017-01-18]. HIV among African American gay and bisexual men https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/msm/bmsm.html .
    1. CDC Diagnoses of HIV Infection in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2015. HIV Surveillance Report. 2016 Nov;27 HIV diagnosis data are estimates from 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 6 U.S. dependent areas.
    1. Publichealth.lacounty. 2014. [2017-02-27]. 2013 Annual HIV Surveillance Report http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/wwwfiles/ph/hae/hiv/2013AnnualSurveilla... .
    1. Peterson JL, Jones KT. HIV prevention for black men who have sex with men in the United States. Am J Public Health. 2009 Jun;99(6):976–80. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.143214.AJPH.2008.143214 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources