Use of ChatGPT in HIV Infection Counselling and Literacy

Abstract

Introduction: Artificial intelligence is an area that has been transforming various sectors of society. One of these tools is ChatGPT (chat generative pre-trained transformer), a large language model-based platform developed to understand language patterns and generate answers. The accessibility, answers in real-time, and privacy make ChatGPT a platform with enormous potential in health counseling. The aim of this study was to explore the potential of ChatGPT in health counseling and literacy regarding HIV infection and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Methods: A team of five experts in infectious diseases was consulted regarding the five most frequently asked questions by patients regarding initial HIV diagnosis and PrEP. The questions were submitted to the ChatGPT-4 version and the quality of the answers was reviewed based on a Likert scale from 1 to 5 (from 'strongly disagree' to 'strongly agree'). The evaluation of the expert's team followed a set of eight criteria: accuracy, clarity, relevance, depth, objectivity, conciseness, timeliness, and suitability for the target audience.

Results: The five most frequently asked questions by patients regarding HIV infection and the mean evaluation of the answers were: "What does it mean to have HIV? Will I die sooner?" (4.25), "Does HIV infection have a cure? Will I ever be able to stop taking medication?" (4.35), "Can I transmit my infection to other people? How to avoid it?" (4.03), "What are the adverse effects of the antiretroviral treatment?" (3.53), "Can I have unprotected sexual relationships? What are the risks?" (4.53). Regarding PrEP, the more frequently asked questions were: "I want to start pre-exposure prophylaxis. Is it safe?" (4.58), "What are the different regimens of pre-exposure prophylaxis?" (4.63), "After I start taking pre-exposure prophylaxis, do I have to take it forever?" (3.95), "What are the adverse effects of pre-exposure prophylaxis?" (4.63), "Does pre-exposure prophylaxis protect against other sexually transmitted infections or do I have to use condoms?" (4.60).

Conclusion: Only two answers received a rating below four on the 1 - 5 Likert scale, highlighting ChatGPT's potential as a promising tool for health counselling and literacy, provided ethical and legal concerns are effectively addressed.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; HIV Infections/prevention & control; Health Literacy; Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis.