Next Generation HIV Prevention: Building Highly Interactive Web-based HIV Interventions for Men who use the Internet to seek Sex with other Men

Simon Hopper, Keith J. Horvath, Curtis Naumann, Gary Remafedi and Simon Rosser

Abstract

Background: In previous studies of men who use the Internet to seek sex with men (MISM) by this team, we found that 67% of MISM in the USA reported unprotected anal sex in the last year. In addition, 15% of MISM seek sex partners exclusively online. This is of concern since it supports emerging evidence that MISM are at high risk for HIV, but many may have little exposure to traditional (i.e., face-to-face) HIV prevention campaigns. To address this gap, we successfully are engaged in an NIH-funded study to develop new and effective HIV prevention interventions online.
Methods: The primary aim of this study is to develop and test a theoretically sound, highly interactive, state-of-the-art, Internet-based prevention intervention for MISM. To achieve this goal, a needs assessment of 2,883 adult MISM living in the USA has been completed. A multidisciplinary team of HIV preventionists, sexologists, e-learning specialists, ethicists, computer scientists, and programmers have collaborated to design next generation HIV prototypes based on the strengths of e-learning and sexual health theory (adapted for HIV prevention), and by building automated programming adapted from leading industry and business software.
Results: Prototypes of “next generation” HIV prevention have been developed, and the results of the needs assessment integrated into the curriculum. The curriculum is currently undergoing usability laboratory testing prior to the launch of a randomized controlled trial with 12 month follow-up to determine efficacy.
Conclusions: Entirely new approaches to HIV prevention are being developed based on technological advances and developments in the fields of computer science, virtual reality, and e-learning. This presentation will showcase what HIV prevention in the future may well look like while addressing the strengths and limitations of online interventions.

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