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A study by researchers at the
University of California, Los Angeles’ David Geffen School of Medicine and
colleagues found that social networking sites were useful in preventing STDs
among groups that were vulnerable. The researchers created health forums and
found that African-American and Latino men who had sex with men (MSM) used the
sites to discuss HIV-related issues like stigma, knowledge of HIV, and HIV
prevention, and to request home HIV testing kits.
The researchers recruited
African-American and Latino MSM through ads on social networking sites such as
Facebook and My Space; through banner ads and posts on Craigslist; and through
places such as bars, gyms, and community organizations in Los Angeles. Some
subjects were also recruited from other population groups. A total of 112
individuals participated in the 12-week intervention and one-year follow-up; 90
percent of participants were African American or Latino and the average age was
31. The participants were randomly assigned on Facebook to a general health
group or a secret HIV prevention group that could not be accessed by non-group
members.
Results show that participants in
the HIV prevention group had open discussions of HIV-related topics.
Participants older than 31 were more likely to discuss prevention, testing,
stigma, and advocacy, while younger participants were more interested in HIV
knowledge. Also, participants who were interested in prevention and testing
were 11 times more likely to request an HIV testing kit than those who discussed
other topics.
The researchers concluded that
social networking can help improve HIV and STD-related communication among
African-American and Latino MSM, and suggested that the study demonstrates that
social networking can be useful for collecting and analyzing data.
The study, “Online Social Networking
for HIV Education and Prevention: A Mixed-Methods Analysis,” was published
online in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases (2012; doi:
10.1097/OLQ.0b013e318278bd12).
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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