A study suggests that Facebook, through its groups, may help educate men on HIV-testing and prevention.
Sean Young, the lead researcher from the Los Angeles Center for Behavior and Addiction Medicine in the University of California, initiated the study to try if they can coordinate the technology with what they know about behavioral changes and behavioral science.
Their findings reveal that specifically-formulated groups in Facebook have helped encouraged men who have sexual intercourse with men to reach out for information and submit themselves for HIV-testing.
Young and his colleagues made use of the Facebook’s groups for this study. The model of prevention recruits people and let them disseminate information to other people about HIV and its prevention. The group of researchers has recruited 112 men from Los Angeles between September 2010 and February 2011 in which 85 percent were African American. These men engaged in sexual intercourse with men also.
Two groups were formed with randomly chosen members. One group was led by those who disseminate information to their members. The other group was led by those who disseminate information to their members about maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The participants were given at-home HIV testing kits during the 12-week study period. The leaders also recorded information on their dealings with their members.
Young and his co-researchers found out that men in the HIV prevention group, in general, were seemingly active when it comes to interacting with their leaders via Facebook messaging and chat.
Members of the HIV prevention group were also the ones who frequently request HIV test kits. Twenty-five out of 57 members of the HIV prevention group have requested at-home HIV tests and nine out of those 25 were returned. In the healthy-living group, only 11 requested for the at-home HIV tests and just two were returned.
On the average, men in both groups have reported reductions in the number of sexual partners during the 12-week study period.
About 90 percent of the participants in the study stayed until the research were finished.
This study was published in the Sept. 3 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
