There’s an App for That: Using Geo-social Networking Apps to Access Young Black Gay, Bisexual and other MSM at Risk for HIV

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Am J Health Promot
• Personal Author:
  Fields, Errol L. ; Long, Amanda ; Dangerfield, Derek T. ; Morgan, Anthony ; Uzzi, Mudia ; Arrington-Sanders, Renata ; Jennings, Jacky M.
• Description:
  Purpose
  
  Young Black gay, bisexual and other MSM (YBMSM) carry a disproportionate HIV burden in the US. Geo-social networking applications (GSN-apps) are environments that may increase HIV risk among users. This study explored the acceptability and feasibility of using these apps for HIV/STI public health outreach.
  
  Design
  
  Semi-structured in-depth qualitative interviews.
  
  Setting
  
  A frequently reported GSN-app for meeting sex partners by newly diagnosed HIV-infected MSM in Baltimore.
  
  Participants
  
  17 YBMSM age 18–24 (mean=21.5/SD=1.8) who were logged-on to the GSN app in venues or census tracts in high HIV transmission areas.
  
  Methods
  
  Participants completed 60–90 minute semi-structured interviews, which were audio-recorded and transcribed. Interview data were analyzed in NVivo10 using categorical analysis and double-coded until consistency was achieved.
  
  Results
  
  Participants described GSN apps as acceptable and feasible resources for public health practitioners seeking to access YBMSM to provide HIV/STI treatment and prevention services and resources. Three themes emerged: 1) the need to authenticate public health messages to distinguish from spam; 2) improved access to YBMSM including opportunities to identify and access virtual congregations of youth in non-gay-related spaces; and 3) the importance of avoiding stigmatizing YBMSM when targeting sexual health messages.
  
  Conclusion
  
  GSN-apps have great potential as tools for identifying and engaging at-risk YBMSM. Additional work is needed to understand limitations of this medium, to develop strategies to engage YBMSM without further stigmatizing them, and to maximize their outreach potential.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adolescent Black Or African American Feasibility Studies HIV Infections Homosexuality, Male Humans Interviews As Topic Male Mobile Applications Preventive Medicine Qualitative Research Sexual And Gender Minorities United States Young Adult

  More +
• Keywords:
  African American HIV Men Who Have Sex With Men Mobile Apps STI
• Source:
  Am J Health Promot. 34(1):42-51
• Pubmed ID:
  31359764
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC11027186
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  P30 AI094189/AI/NIAID NIH HHSUnited States/ ; U01 PS005115/PS/NCHHSTP CDC HHSUnited States/
• Volume:
  34
• Issue:
  1
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:5221ceeeca55941b2655f47ebad0fb78a8e9a781f31d1444dd1c36cdc55f99d4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/154703/cdc_154703_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 208.97 KB ]