Health Promotion Projects on HIV & Sexual Health
A randomized controlled trial evaluating efficacy of promoting home-based HIV testing with online counselling on increasing HIV testing among men who have sex with men
HIV testing is an important global HIV prevention strategy but under-utilized by local men who have sex with men (MSM). In 2014, the WHO endorses the potential of using HIV self-testing (HIVST) to increase overall access to HIV testing.
The primary objective of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to evaluate the relative efficacy between the intervention group and control group in increasing prevalence of overall HIV testing rate (HIV testing of any type) among MSM in Hong Kong within a 6-month follow-up period. In the control group, we promoted HIV testing in general (including facility-based HCT services provided by NGOs). In the intervention group, in addition to the health promotion given to the control group, we further promoted a new home-based HIVST service (mailing of a free HIVST kit and provision of online real-time instructions and pre-test/post-test counseling, HIVST-OIC) and provided them with such as service. Secondary objectives included testing between-group differences in: 1) prevalence of condomless anal intercourse (CAI) and multiple sex partnerships among testers, 2) prevalence of exposure to pre-test/post-test counseling among testers, and 3) specific perceptions related to HIV testing.
Funded by Health and Medical Research Fund