ArticleJMIR formative research2022
Relative Effectiveness of Social Media, Dating Apps, and Information Search Sites in Promoting HIV Self-testing: Observational Cohort Study.
Article in JMIR formative research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04155502 (Using Social Media to Deliver HIV Self-Testing Kits and Link to Online PrEP Services), which is not on this map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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 Social Media to Deliver HIV Self-Testing Kits and Link to Online PrEP Services
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Evidence on Digital HIV Self-Testing From Accuracy to Impact: Updated Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- Sexual delay discounting as a moderator of the association between substance use and condomless anal sex among young black and Latino men who have sex with men.Addictive behaviors reports · 2026Article
- The Role of Social Networks, House Ballrooms, and Religion in HIV Prevention for Black Gay and Bisexual Men: A Scoping Review.AIDS and behavior · 2026Review
- An Evaluation of Social Media and Geospatial Dating Apps for Recruitment of a National Sample of Young Men Who Have Sex with Men in the LITE-2 Study.AIDS and behavior · 2026Article
- High Uptake of HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Among Men Who Have Sex with Men Recruited via Geosocial Networking Applications and Community Outreach in Paris, France.AIDS and behavior · 2026Article
- Characterizing HIV-related patient portal preferences among men who have sex with men in the United States.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Comorbidities of substance use: Opportunities realized and future needs.Journal of substance use and addiction treatment · 2026Article
- Evaluating the efficacy of digital media platforms in disseminating public health information: A global review with implications for South Africa.African journal of primary health care & family medicine · 2026Review
- Predictive analysis of influencing factors on HIV testing behavior among college students in Shanxi, China.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Culturally Responsive Outreach and Peer Navigation to Improve HIV Prevention and Care for Latino Gay and Bisexual Men in Atlanta.Archives of sexual behavior · 2025Article
- Prevalence and factors associated with knowledge of HIV Self-Test kit and HIV-Self Testing among Ghanaian women: multi-level analyses using the 2022 Ghana demographic and health survey.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Evaluation of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination and Cancer Prevention Behaviors among LGBTQI + Individuals: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of community health · 2025Article
- Building Relationships and Families Among PLHIV in Low-and Middle-Income Countries: Overcoming Stigma and Leveraging Recent Advances.Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS CareReview
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
17 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSocial media sites, dating apps, and information search sites have been used to reach individuals at high risk for HIV infection. However, it is not clear which platform is the most efficient in promoting home HIV self-testing, given that the users of various platforms may have different characteristics that impact their readiness for HIV testing.
objectiveThis study aimed to compare the relative effectiveness of social media sites, dating apps, and information search sites in promoting HIV self-testing among minority men who have sex with men (MSM) at an increased risk of HIV infection. Test kit order rates were used as a proxy to evaluate promotion effectiveness. In addition, we assessed differences in characteristics between participants who ordered and did not order an HIV test kit.
methodsCulturally appropriate advertisements were placed on popular sites of three different platforms: social media sites (Facebook, Instagram), dating apps (Grindr, Jack'D), and information search sites (Google, Bing). Advertisements targeted young (18-30 years old) and minority (Black or Latinx) MSM at risk of HIV exposure. Recruitment occurred in 2 waves, with each wave running advertisements on 1 platform of each type over the same period. Participants completed a baseline survey assessing sexual or injection use behavior, substance use including alcohol, psychological readiness to test, attitudes toward HIV testing and treatment, and HIV-related stigma. Participants received an electronic code to order a free home-based HIV self-test kit. Follow-up assessments were conducted to assess HIV self-test kit use and uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) at 14 and 60 days post enrollment.
resultsIn total, 271 participants were enrolled, and 254 were included in the final analysis. Among these 254 participants, 177 (69.7%) ordered a home HIV self-test kit. Most of the self-test kits were ordered by participants enrolled from dating apps. Due to waves with low enrollment, between wave statistical comparisons were not feasible. Within wave comparison revealed that Jack'D showed higher order rates (3.29 kits/day) compared to Instagram (0.34 kits/day) and Bing (0 kits/day). There were no associations among self-test kit ordering and HIV-related stigma, perceptions about HIV testing and treatment, and mistrust of medical organizations.
conclusionsOur findings show that using popular dating apps might be an efficient way to promote HIV self-testing. Stigma, perceptions about HIV testing and treatment, or mistrust of medical organizations may not affect order rates of HIV test kits promoted on the internet.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04155502; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04155502. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/20417.
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.