Feasibility of utilizing Grindr™ to distribute HIV self-test kits to guys that have sex with guys in L. A., Ca

A. Lina Rosengren

a Department of treatments, Indiana University college of Medicine, 545 Barnhill Drive, EH 317, Indianapolis, IN 46202, American.

Emily Huang

B unit of Infectious illnesses, office of Medicine, David Geffen class of drug, institution of California, L. A., 10833 ce Conte Avenue, CHS 37-121, L. A., CA 90095, United States Of America.

Joseph Daniels

C Department of society wellness Sciences, David Geffen college of community fitness, University of Ca, l . a ., 650 Charles E. teenage Drive southern area, 36-071 CHS, L. A., CA 90095, American.

Sean D. Teenage

D office of parents treatments, David Geffen class of Medicine, University of Ca, l . a ., 10833 ce Conte Avenue, 50-074 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.

Robert W. Marlin

B unit of Infectious ailments, office of Medicine, David Geffen class of medication, University of Ca, l . a ., 10833 ce Conte opportunity, CHS 37-121, la, CA 90095, United States Of America.

Jeffrey D. Klausner

B unit of Infectious ailments, office of Medicine, David Geffen college of treatments, University of Ca, L. A., 10833 Le Conte Avenue, CHS 37-121, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States Of America.

Abstract

Credentials:

Our very own research directed to determine if Grindr™ is an efficient method of reaching high-risk people that gender with men (MSM) for HIV tests. In L. A. (Los Angeles), Black and Latino MSM experience the greatest rates of HIV illness, and Black MSM in LA are four-fold much more likely than white MSM to not understand they truly are contaminated with HIV. Those MSM are significant people of social networking apps. Grindr™ was utilized to produce accessibility no-cost HIV self-testing.

Strategies:

Free HIV self-test sets are promoted on Grindr™ from 13 October to 11 November 2014, consisting of 300 000 advertising advertising and three broadcast communications targeting a high-risk HIV society in LA. Qualified individuals, dark or Latino, MSM and who have been aged ?18 yrs old, had been invited to take a study two weeks after test delivery.

Results:

The web site was given 4389 unique website visitors and 333 examination requests, which 247 (74%) are desires for mailed exams, 58 (17%) happened to be for vouchers and 28 (8per cent) are for vending gadgets. Regarding the 125 players, 74per cent reported a minumum of one bout of condomless anal sex in past times a couple of months, 29% last examined for HIV over 1 year ago and 9percent have never been tested.

Conclusions:

It had been possible to make use of Grindr™ to distribute HIV self-test products. Customers are able to give private information in return for a totally free self-test and found self-tests appropriate and easy to utilize. HIV self-testing promotion through software features a higher possibility to reach untested risky populations.

Introduction

Portable online social media has become an increasingly common means for people to meet sex couples. The employment of cellular marketing software (software) among young adults between 18 and 29 years in the USA is nearly universal, with 89percent using some type of social networking application in 2013. 1 men who’ve gender with boys (MSM) are in a disproportionate likelihood of getting HIV illness, particularly Ebony and Hispanic men, 2 and are also in addition regular users of social media apps. 3 probably one of the most widely used software for personal and intimate networking among MSM is actually Grindr™, with more than 5 million users in 192 region. 4 Grindr™ people also provide increased speed of sexual hazard behaviour such as condomless anal sex. 5,6 couple of research reports have investigated employing apps promoting HIV evaluating and linkage to proper care treatments. Those research reports have exhibited that youthful, Ebony and Hispanic MSM, communities with lowest proportions of HIV serostatus consciousness, come across applications becoming an appropriate source for sexual health facts. 6,7

The United States locations for ailments controls and avoidance advises 3–6 period HIV examination for many MSM. 8 Among one research of Grindr™ people in nyc, almost one-third wasn’t HIV analyzed within earlier year. In the next learn in l . a ., 17percent reported not-being HIV examined around the previous season. 5

Engaging Ebony and Hispanic MSM in HIV evaluation happens to be challenging due to the large incidence of HIV-related stigma additionally the limited utilisation of primary health care bills. 9–12 HIV oral-fluid self-testing might lessen the stigma connected with seeking HIV tests, develop accessibility examination and cures providers and increase population-level serostatus consciousness rate. 13 Although issues about test package value have-been lifted, HIV self-tests have been found as acceptable in risky communities. 14,15

At the Seattle escort service beginning of 2014, we piloted a course making use of Grindr™ promoting complimentary access to HIV self-test kits. Participants could decide sets delivered through everyone mail, vouchers redeemable at Walgreens® community pharmacies or access a regional vending device. 16 receiving sets through the post had been preferred ways of examination accessibility. To advance our understanding of the best way to supply free of charge exams, we carried out another pilot research to streamline the available choices of mailed reports and provide another test accessibility modality; a commercial web site to improve purchase fulfilment and delivery. Within that second pilot research, we carried out a study of young Black and Hispanic MSM to characterise examination utilisation and outcomes including test positivity and linkage to care.

Techniques

We placed every day consistent advertising ads and weekly complete monitor notifications that showed up upon app beginning on Grindr™ between 13 October and 11 November 2014, at no cost HIV self-test kits ( Fig. 1 ). The promotion consisted of 300 000 banner ad impressions and three broadcast notifications focusing on Grindr™ customers in large HIV incidence geographic areas in l . a . region; West Hollywood and main l . a .. By simply clicking the advertising, consumers were linked to research site where they can choose tips acquire a totally free HIV self-test kit through three delivery techniques. Those choices included acquiring an individual need promotional code for buying and transport on Walgreens®, getting an electronic coupon redeemable at 12 neighborhood Walgreens® area pharmacies or receiving a four-digit private recognition numbers for use at a sensible vending maker (UCapIt; Des Moines, IA, United States Of America) located in the parking lot in the L. A. Gay and Lesbian heart. 17 We mentioned advertisement click-throughs, website utilisation and mode of examination demand. Net process contact comprise monitored to eliminate identical check outs with the website and only distinctive customers happened to be within the reported research.