Trial reportThe lancet. HIV2015
The HOPE social media intervention for global HIV prevention in Peru: a cluster randomised controlled trial.
Trial report in The lancet. HIV, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 96 papers, 18 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Using Online Social Networks for HIV Prevention and Testing
Efficacy of an Intervention With Text Messaging to Improve Early Retention in HIV Care for People With HIV Who Receive Treatment at VIA LIBRE
Who cites it
96 citing papers in PubMed, 18 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 162 citations in OpenAlex.
- The key design features and effectiveness of social network interventions for HIV testing and linkage services in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2025Pooled it
- Demand creation for HIV testing services: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PLoS medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Social Media-Based Interventions for Health Behavior Change in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Pooled it
- Behavioural interventions delivered through interactive social media for health behaviour change, health outcomes, and health equity in the adult population.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of Technology-Assisted HIV Testing Interventions.Current HIV/AIDS reports · 2020Pooled it
- Using Digital Communication Technology to Increase HIV Testing Among Men Who Have Sex With Men and Transgender Women: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2020Pooled it
- Targeted client communication via mobile devices for improving sexual and reproductive health.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- Behavior Change Techniques Included in Reports of Social Media Interventions for Promoting Health Behaviors in Adults: Content Analysis Within a Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2020Pooled it
- The Effectiveness of Electronic Health Interventions for Promoting HIV-Preventive Behaviors Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: Meta-Analysis Based on an Integrative Framework of Design and Implementation Features.Journal of medical Internet research · 2020Pooled it
- Peer education for HIV prevention among high-risk groups: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2020Pooled it
- Electronic and other new media technology interventions for HIV care and prevention: a systematic review.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2020Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of eHealth Interventions Addressing HIV/STI Prevention Among Men Who Have Sex With Men.AIDS and behavior · 2019Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Social Media Interventions to Promote HIV Testing, Linkage, Adherence, and Retention: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2017Pooled it
- Online interventions to address HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections among young gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men: a systematic review.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2017Pooled it
- Specification of implementation interventions to address the cascade of HIV care and treatment in resource-limited settings: a systematic review.Implementation science : IS · 2017Pooled it
- Effectiveness of peer-led interventions to increase HIV testing among men who have sex with men: a systematic review and meta-analysis.AIDS care · 2017Pooled it
- Use of Technology to Address Substance Use in the Context of HIV: A Systematic Review.Current HIV/AIDS reports · 2015Pooled it
- Social Media Messaging to Reduce HIV-Related Stigma Among Young Adults in Peru: A Randomized Controlled Study.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2026Trial
- Social Media Intervention Based on the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model Promotes HIV Testing and Reduces High-Risk Behaviors Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Resource-Limited Settings in China: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Trial
36 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSocial media technologies offer new approaches to HIV prevention and promotion of testing. We examined the efficacy of the Harnessing Online Peer Education (HOPE) social media intervention to increase HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Peru.
methodsIn this cluster randomised controlled trial, Peruvian MSM from Greater Lima (including Callao) who had sex with a man in the past 12 months, were 18 years of age or older, were HIV negative or serostatus unknown, and had a Facebook account or were willing to create one (N=556) were randomly assigned (1:1) by concealed allocation to join intervention or control groups on Facebook for 12 weeks. For the intervention, Peruvian MSM were trained and assigned to be HIV prevention mentors (peer-leaders) to participants in Facebook groups. The interventions period lasted 12 weeks. Participants in control groups received an enhanced standard of care, including standard offline HIV prevention available in Peru and participation in Facebook groups (without peer leaders) that provided study updates and HIV testing information. After accepting a request to join the groups, continued participation was voluntary. Participants also completed questionnaires on HIV risk behaviours and social media use at baseline and 12 week follow-up. The primary outcome was the number of participants who received a free HIV test at a local community clinic. The facebook groups were analysed as clusters to account for intracluster correlations. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01701206.
findingsOf 49 peer-leaders recruited, 34 completed training and were assigned at random to the intervention Facebook groups. Between March 19, 2012, and June 11, 2012, and Sept 26, 2012, and Dec 19, 2012, 556 participants were randomly assigned to intervention groups (N=278) or control groups (N=278); we analyse data for 252 and 246. 43 participants (17%) in the intervention group and 16 (7%) in the control groups got tested for HIV (adjusted odds ratio 2·61, 95% CI 1·55–4·38). No adverse events were reported.
interpretationDevelopment of peer-mentored social media communities seemed to be an efficacious method to increase HIV testing among high-risk populations in Peru. Results suggest that the HOPE social media intervention could improve HIV testing rates among MSM in Peru.
fundingNational Institute of Mental Health.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.