16th International AIDS Conference Toronto, Canada - August 13 - 18, 2006

A THEORY-BASED, TAILORED, INTERACTIVE INTERVENTION DIRECTED AT MSM WHO MEET SEXUAL PARTNERS THROUGH INTERNET CHAT SITES: EFFECTIVE FOR MSM WHO PRACTICE UAI WITH CASUAL PARTNERS

Int Conf AIDS. 2006 Aug 13-18;16 Abstract No. MoAc0104

Harterink P.¹, Hospers H.², Vriens P.¹, Kok G.², De Zwart O.^1
1Municipal Public Health Service Rotterdam, Infectious Diseases Control, Rotterdam, Netherlands, ²Maastricht University, Psychology, Maastricht, Netherlands

BACKGROUND: Almost half the Dutch MSM use the Internet for chatting and dating. Current Internet interventions for HIV prevention are seldom linked to popular commercial chat sites, hardly ever make use of interactivity and are rarely theory based. We therefore developed and evaluated a theory-based tailored interactive intervention that was linked directly to Chatboy, the most popular Dutch gay chat site.

METHODS: Using the Intervention Mapping protocol, we developed the intervention "GAY CRUISE", tailoring it to age and sexual experience and focusing on psychosocial determinants. Participants registered with their e-mail address through Chatboy and were randomised to the intervention group or control group. Virtual agents guided participants through the intervention, giving personalised feedback. Follow-up was at three months.

RESULTS: The intervention group contained 2,886 respondents; the control group had 2,731. Response at follow-up was high: 39% (intervention group) and 44% (control group). The mean age was 33 years, 14% was of mixed or non-Dutch ethnicity, and 49% had a steady partner. 57% had met casual sex partners online in the previous three months. Of those, 66% had anal sex in that period, of whom 64% used condoms consistently. A comparison of the intervention group with the control group in the full sample shows no significant effects on condom use with casual sex partners. However, the intervention was effective for men who had been having unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with casual partners at pre-test. The level of UAI at post-test was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (45% versus 55%, respectively; p<0.05). 93% of the participants indicated they would appreciate having a tool within the chat programme that could indicate their wish to have safer sex.

CONCLUSIONS: Interactive tailored interventions linked to chat sites can be an effective instrument in HIV prevention for MSM who practice unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with casual partners.

Download PDF of this abstract.

2006-08-13
MoAc0104

Copyright © 2006 - International AIDS Society (IAS). All information and content relating to the abstracts from the 16th International AIDS Conference, such as text, graphics, logos, button icons, images, audio clips, and software is protected by copyright. Permission is hereby granted for the non-commercial use or reproduction of the information on this web site, provided that the use of such information is accompanied by an acknowledgement that IAS is the source of the information and the name of the author of the article.

AEGiS is a 501c(3) not-for-profit organization made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Elton John AIDS Foundation, GlaxoSmithKline, the National Library of Medicine, Roche / Trimeris, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2006. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2006. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. Permission is hereby granted for the non-commercial use or reproduction of the information herein, provided that the use of such information is accompanied by an acknowledgement that IAS is the source of the information and the name of the author of the article.