Project Minority AIDS Prevention: Reaching Black and Hispanic MSM About PrEP and TasP Using Social Media

For this Minority AIDS Research Project, we will develop and pilot test an intervention to
improve the science of treatment as prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake as a
public health strategy to decrease new HIV infections among Black/African American and
Hispanic/Latino men who have sex with men. This project uses a 3-phase study design to
address our proposed Specific Aims. First, we will use focus groups to gather feedback on our
existing interactive Men2MenRI website that was developed for and by predominately White men
who have sex with men in Rhode Island that includes information on treatment as prevention
and pre-exposure prophylaxis, as well as other health and wellness topics to make it more
culturally-tailored to Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino MSM. Second, we will used
cognitive interviewing techniques to develop and assess the acceptability of
Information-Motivation-Behavioral/Social Cognitive Theory-grounded social media message
content designed to motivate and encourage access to our newly developed and
culturally-tailored interactive website. Third, we will pilot test a two-arm trial comparing
the combination of sending Information-Motivation-Behavioral/Social Cognitive Theory-guided
messages plus the newly developed and culturally-tailored interactive website (active arm) to
the website alone (control arm) to examine whether the combination approach will: 1) increase
treatment as prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake (primary outcome); 2) increase
knowledge of, more favorable attitudes toward, and increase behavioral intentions of
treatment as prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis use behaviors (exploratory outcome).
This study is innovative in the use of a combination approach to treatment as prevention and
pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake that leverages advances in social media as a platform for
motivating behavior change.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Aged 18 or older 2. Biological male 3. Black/African American or Hispanic/Latino 4.
History of condomless receptive or insertive anal intercourse with other men in the past 6
months 5. Currently using or have access and willingness to use social media over the next
6 months 6. Self-identify as HIV-negative or HIV-positive at enrollment 7. Self-identify as
not being on HIV treatment (antiretroviral therapy or pre-exposure prophylaxis) or in HIV
care at enrollment 8. Able to give informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Individuals who are intoxicated

2. Individuals report being coerced to participate