| Title | Putting prevention in their pockets: developing mobile phone-based HIV interventions for black men who have sex with men. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2013 |
| Authors | Muessig, Kathryn E., Emily C. Pike, Beth Fowler, Sara Legrand, Jeffrey T. Parsons, Sheana S. Bull, Patrick A. Wilson, David A. Wohl, and Lisa B. Hightow-Weidman |
| Journal | AIDS patient care and STDs |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pagination | 211-22 |
| Date Published | 2013 Apr |
| ISSN | 1557-7449 |
| Keywords | Adolescent, Adult, African Continental Ancestry Group, Cellular Phone, Focus Groups, HIV Infections, Homosexuality, Male, Humans, Internet, Intervention Studies, Male, North Carolina, Primary Prevention, Qualitative Research, Risk-Taking, Safe Sex, Socioeconomic Factors, Text Messaging, Young Adult |
| Abstract | Young black men who have sex with men (MSM) bear a disproportionate burden of HIV. Rapid expansion of mobile technologies, including smartphone applications (apps), provides a unique opportunity for outreach and tailored health messaging. We collected electronic daily journals and conducted surveys and focus groups with 22 black MSM (age 18-30) at three sites in North Carolina to inform the development of a mobile phone-based intervention. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically using NVivo. Half of the sample earned under $11,000 annually. All participants owned smartphones and had unlimited texting and many had unlimited data plans. Phones were integral to participants' lives and were a primary means of Internet access. Communication was primarily through text messaging and Internet (on-line chatting, social networking sites) rather than calls. Apps were used daily for entertainment, information, productivity, and social networking. Half of participants used their phones to find sex partners; over half used phones to find health information. For an HIV-related app, participants requested user-friendly content about test site locators, sexually transmitted diseases, symptom evaluation, drug and alcohol risk, safe sex, sexuality and relationships, gay-friendly health providers, and connection to other gay/HIV-positive men. For young black MSM in this qualitative study, mobile technologies were a widely used, acceptable means for HIV intervention. Future research is needed to measure patterns and preferences of mobile technology use among broader samples. |
| DOI | 10.1089/apc.2012.0404 |
| Alternate Journal | AIDS Patient Care STDS |
