Harnessing the Power of Text Messaging to Invigorate AMSM HIV Preventive Behavior (G2G)

Center for Innovative Public Health Research

Status: Completed

Conditions: HIV

Treatments: Behavioral: Guy2Guy (G2G)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT02113956

Pro00007481

1R01MH096660-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to examine whether Guy2Guy (G2G), a text messaging-based healthy sexuality and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention program intervention for 14-18 year gay, bisexual and queer men, is associated with HIV preventive behavior (e.g., condom use) compared to an attention-matched control group.

Full description

Adolescent men who have sex with men (AMSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV. They account for almost 70% of HIV diagnoses among all young people and are the only risk group with an increasing number of HIV/AIDS diagnoses. Despite this disproportionate burden, current HIV prevention programs focus primarily on adults and heterosexual youth. As such, there is an urgent need for evidence-based HIV prevention programs targeting AMSM. Because issues affecting sexual health decisions among AMSM are unique, intervention programs cannot be translated from heterosexually focused interventions. Instead, they need to be designed from the ground up to ensure appropriately tailored content that resonates with the target population. Evidence-based HIV prevention programs targeting AMSM are urgently needed.

The Guy2Guy (G2G) intervention is a text messaging-based HIV prevention program designed for the specific needs of adolescent males who self-identify as gay, bisexual, or queer (GBQ) and are between the ages of 14-18 years. The intervention will be tested in a randomized controlled trial against an attention-matched control group which receives text messages about healthy lifestyle (e.g., exercise, nutrition). A total of 300 GBQ adolescent males will be into the study using an online recruitment strategy. The study is being conducted by researchers at the Center for Innovative Public Health Research and Northwestern University.

The primary efficacy outcome measures are unprotected sex acts and abstinence at 3-months follow-up. The investigators hypothesize that those in the G2G intervention will be significantly more likely to be engage in HIV preventive behavior (e.g., use condoms when having vaginal/anal sex) at 3-months follow-up compared to the attention-matched control group. Secondary efficacy outcomes include unprotected sex acts and abstinence at 3-month follow-up by sexual experience groups (i.e., ever had sex versus never had sex at baseline), HIV testing rates, and unprotected sex acts and abstinence at intervention end (5 weeks post enrollment) for those in the intervention versus control groups; and for participants who were sexually experienced and inexperienced at baseline, separately.

If effective, G2G has promise to be quickly and cost-effectively implemented to scale to help to curb the spread of HIV infection among AMSM long into adulthood.

Enrollment: 302 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 14 to 18 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Self-identified as gay, bisexual, or queer
• Male biological sex
• Male gender
• Between the ages of 14-18
• English speaking
• Exclusive owners of a cell phone with an unlimited text messaging plan, have used text messaging for at least 6 months, and intend to have the same number for the next 6 months
• Able to provide informed assent, including an acceptable score on the "capacity to consent assessment"

Exclusion criteria

• Female or Transgender
• Participated in earlier study development activities

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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302 participants in 2 patient groups

Guy2Guy (G2G)

Experimental group

Description:

G2G is a 6-week HIV prevention program delivered daily via text messaging to 14-18 year old males who self-identify as gay, bisexual, and/or queer. In addition to program content, participants are paired with another participant (i.e., a Text Buddy) with whom they can text throughout the program to provide support; and an on-demand advice line, G2Genie, which shares information about condoms, sex, relationships, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Guy2Guy (G2G)

Healthy Lifestyle Control

No Intervention group

Description:

The attention-matched control arm message content consists of information publicly available online related to living a healthy lifestyle. Content discussed includes: STD information, nutrition and sleep hygiene, self-esteem and body image, bullying, and drugs and alcohol. The control arm is 6-weeks in length (Week 6 is a review booster) and is delivered via text messaging. Messages are didactic and not tailored to user sexual experience. Additionally, the Text Buddy and G2Genie intervention program components are not available.