What if I want to start PrEP?  What if he’s undetectable? What if I still want to use condoms? The Sex You Want offers the community answers to these questions in a comprehensive resource. Increasing access to sexual health information in a fun, sex-positive way.

Campaign by the Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance (GMSH)

Tags: Education, MSM

This PATH-lead and USAID-funded project hired and trained Online Change Agents (OCAs) in Viet-Nam. It started as a Facebook page in 2015 to allow MSM and TGW to connect and exchange information on HIV prevention and care. Interest was strong and numbers grew exponentially. The OCA model launched in March 2016 and has already had much success (of 236 clients, 91.5% have been referred to HIV testing services; 14.4% of those tested were found to be HIV positive and were supported by their OCA to enrol in ARV treatment).

The Hope project followed 556 MSM in Peru who were randomized to receive a Harnessing Online Peer Education (HOPE) intervention or standard HIV prevention enhanced by social media. The HOPE intervention consisted of trained peer leaders acting as HIV prevention mentors in closed Facebook groups. The study was conducted in 2012 in two separate waves of 12 weeks each, with 300 and 256 MSM taking part in the two waves. Participants in the HOPE intervention arm were almost three times as likely to seek HIV testing than those in the control group receiving the standard HIV prevention messaging.

Articles:

• http://www.thebodypro.com/content/75391/social-media-based-interventions-increase-hiv-test.html
• PDF

A “sexpert” is a trans woman trained as a community health educator. Sexperts provide HIV, sexual-health and legal rights education in non-threatening, anonymous virtual environments. Sexperts address HIV prevention and treatment questions, but also engage community members in discussions around sex, relationships, body issues and self-acceptance.

The website and linked social media networks aim to de-stigmatize HIV and homosexuality, while offering online counseling, expert advice on HIV/AIDS and related subjects via videos podcasts and forums, games and quizzes. The web platform connects users to clinics that offer free HIV testing, medical consultations, medication, care and support services to MSM.

This online peer-to-peer counselling approach uses the Planet Romeo application (a dating platform that is popular in Austria, Germany and Switzerland). The project features Health Supporters, volunteers or professionals with expertise in a range of areas (such as behaviours related to fetishes, chemsex and so on), who provide peer counselling through the Planet Romeo website and app.

Ponteonce is a bold, interactive communication strategy based on so-called provocation for prevention (or prevention porn), where sexual videos can be displayed with messages on safe sex and the importance of using condoms. This online platform aims to reach gay men and other men who have sex with men in order to complement peer promotion strategies and strengthen contact with public health systems.

HealthMpowerment.org (HMP) uses a mobile-phone optimized intervention for both HIV positive and negative young black MSM and trans women to build community and facilitate supportive relationships.

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Developed by the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health, the Suck / F*#k / Test / Repeat campaign utilized its website, Facebook, popular websites and mobile apps used by MSM to disseminate key information and messages designed to encourage testing and to increase awareness of HIV.

The PrEP Facts: Rethinking HIV Prevention and Sex Facebook group was created by Damon Jacobs in an effort to educate others about PrEP. There are now 14,182 worldwide members and counting, creating a supportive network that provides reliable research data, documents and articles about PrEP.

In the news:

• Facebook: a powerful tool for learning about PrEP, Social networks can help make informed decisions