Using Facebook as a Platform to Direct Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men to a Video-Based HIV Testing Intervention: A Feasibility Study

Abstract

Objective: A randomized control pilot study was conducted with Black men who have sex with men (BMSM; N = 42) aged 18–30 years to examine the feasibility of implementing a video intervention delivered using Facebook to motivate HIV testing. Methods: At baseline, participants were unaware of their HIV status and had not tested for HIV in the past 6 months, residing in Los Angeles County. The intervention content included topics such as social influence, HIV knowledge, stigma, HIV positive knowledge, and benefits of knowing one’s HIV status. Findings: Logistic regression revealed that those receiving the video intervention were 7 times more likely to have tested for HIV than those in the control group at 6-week follow-up (odds ratio [ OR ] = 7.00, 95% confidence interval [1.72, 28.33], p = .006). Conclusion: Data suggest that the intervention was feasible for motivating HIV testing.