Dan Wu1,2,3, Yi Zhou4, Nancy Yang5, Shanzi Huang4, Xi He6, Joseph Tucker1,7, Xiaofeng Li4, Kumi M Smith8, Tiarney Ritchwood9, Xiaohui Jiang10, Xuan Liu7, Yehua Wang7, Wenting Huang11, Jason Ong1, Hongyun Fu12, Huanyu Bao7, Stephen Pan13, Wencan Dai3, Weiming Tang2,3,7. 1. Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom. 2. Insititute of Global Health and Sexually Transmitted Infection Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. 3. Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. 4. Zhuhai Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Zhuhai, China. 5. University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. 6. Zhuhai Xutong Voluntary Services Center, Zhuhai, China. 7. University of North Carolina Project-China, Guangzhou, China. 8. Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. 9. Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA. 10. Health Commission of Zhuhai, Zhuhai, China. 11. Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University, Georgia, Atlanta, USA. 12. Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia, USA. 13. Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University, Suzhou, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Social media and secondary distribution (distributing self-testing kits by indexes through their networks) both show strong promise to improve human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) self-testing uptake. We assessed an implementation program in Zhuhai, China, which focused on the secondary distribution of HIV/syphilis self-test kits among men who have sex with men (MSM) via social media. METHODS: Men aged ≥16 years, born biologically male, and ever had sex with another man were recruited as indexes. Banner ads on a social media platform invited the participants to apply for up to 5 self-test kits every 3 months. Index men paid a deposit of US$15/kit refundable upon submitting a photograph of a completed test result via an online submission system. They were informed that they could distribute the kits to others (referred to as "alters"). RESULTS: A total of 371 unique index men applied for 1150 kits (mean age, 28.7 [standard deviation, 6.9] years), of which 1141 test results were returned (99%). Among them, 1099 were valid test results; 810 (74%) were from 331 unique index men, and 289 tests (26%) were from 281 unique alters. Compared to index men, a higher proportion of alters were naive HIV testers (40% vs 21%; P < .001). The total HIV self-test reactivity rate was 3%, with alters having a significantly higher rate than indexes (5% vs 2%; P = .008). A total of 21 people (3%) had a reactive syphilis test result. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating social media with the secondary distribution of self-test kits may hold promise to increase HIV/syphilis testing coverage and case identification among MSM.
BACKGROUND: Social media and secondary distribution (distributing self-testing kits by indexes through their networks) both show strong promise to improve human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) self-testing uptake. We assessed an implementation program in Zhuhai, China, which focused on the secondary distribution of HIV/syphilis self-test kits among men who have sex with men (MSM) via social media. METHODS: Men aged ≥16 years, born biologically male, and ever had sex with another man were recruited as indexes. Banner ads on a social media platform invited the participants to apply for up to 5 self-test kits every 3 months. Index men paid a deposit of US$15/kit refundable upon submitting a photograph of a completed test result via an online submission system. They were informed that they could distribute the kits to others (referred to as "alters"). RESULTS: A total of 371 unique index men applied for 1150 kits (mean age, 28.7 [standard deviation, 6.9] years), of which 1141 test results were returned (99%). Among them, 1099 were valid test results; 810 (74%) were from 331 unique index men, and 289 tests (26%) were from 281 unique alters. Compared to index men, a higher proportion of alters were naive HIV testers (40% vs 21%; P < .001). The total HIV self-test reactivity rate was 3%, with alters having a significantly higher rate than indexes (5% vs 2%; P = .008). A total of 21 people (3%) had a reactive syphilis test result. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating social media with the secondary distribution of self-test kits may hold promise to increase HIV/syphilis testing coverage and case identification among MSM.
Authors: Darrel H Higa; Nicole Crepaz; Khiya J Marshall; Linda Kay; H Waverly Vosburgh; Pilgrim Spikes; Cynthia M Lyles; David W Purcell Journal: AIDS Behav Date: 2013-05
Authors: Shauna Stahlman; Carrie Lyons; Patrick S Sullivan; Kenneth H Mayer; Sean Hosein; Chris Beyrer; Stefan D Baral Journal: Sex Health Date: 2017-02 Impact factor: 2.706
Authors: Laura Wesolowski; Pollyanna Chavez; Patrick Sullivan; Arin Freeman; Akshay Sharma; Brian Mustanski; A D McNaghten; Robin MacGowan Journal: AIDS Behav Date: 2019-04
Authors: Muhammad S Jamil; Garrett Prestage; Christopher K Fairley; Andrew E Grulich; Kirsty S Smith; Marcus Chen; Martin Holt; Anna M McNulty; Benjamin R Bavinton; Damian P Conway; Handan Wand; Phillip Keen; Jack Bradley; Johann Kolstee; Colin Batrouney; Darren Russell; Matthew Law; John M Kaldor; Rebecca J Guy Journal: Lancet HIV Date: 2017-02-17 Impact factor: 12.767
Authors: Hongbo Jiang; Yewei Xie; Yuan Xiong; Yi Zhou; Kaihao Lin; Yao Yan; Joseph Tucker; Jason J Ong; Dan Wu; Fan Yang; Weiming Tang Journal: J Int AIDS Soc Date: 2021-05 Impact factor: 5.396
Authors: Yongjie Sha; Xi He; Ying Lu; Fan Yang; Joseph D Tucker; Dan Wu; Suzanne Day; Yuan Xiong; Yi Zhou; Xiaofeng Li; Shanzi Huang; Weiming Tang Journal: AIDS Care Date: 2022-03-14
Authors: Wenqian Xu; Elena Ivanova Reipold; Peizhen Zhao; Weiming Tang; Joseph D Tucker; Jason J Ong; Jinshen Wang; Philippa Easterbrook; Cheryl Case Johnson; Muhammad S Jamil; Cheng Wang Journal: Front Public Health Date: 2022-05-31
Authors: Madison McGuire; Anna de Waal; Angela Karellis; Ricky Janssen; Nora Engel; Rangarajan Sampath; Sergio Carmona; Alice Anne Zwerling; Marta Fernandez Suarez; Nitika Pant Pai Journal: EClinicalMedicine Date: 2021-08-13
Authors: Ye Zhang; Rebecca J Guy; Kirsty S Smith; Muhammad S Jamil; Garrett Prestage; Tanya L Applegate; Damian P Conway; Martin Holt; Phillip Keen; Benjamin Bavinton; Anna M McNulty; Colin Batrouney; Darren Russell; Matthew Vaughan; Marcus Chen; Christopher K Fairley; Andrew E Grulich; John M Kaldor; Denton Callander Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2021-11-09 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Augustine T Choko; Katherine Fielding; Cheryl C Johnson; Moses K Kumwenda; Richard Chilongosi; Rachel C Baggaley; Rose Nyirenda; Linda A Sande; Nicola Desmond; Karin Hatzold; Melissa Neuman; Elizabeth L Corbett Journal: Lancet Glob Health Date: 2021-07 Impact factor: 26.763