Tu Amigo Pepe: Evaluation of a Multi-Media Marketing Campaign that Targets Young Latino Immigrant MSM with HIV Testing Messages

Latino immigrant men who have sex with men (MSM) are at risk for HIV and delayed diagnosis in the United States. 

This paper describes the evaluation of a pilot of the Tu Amigo Pepe, a multimedia HIV testing campaign aimed at Latino MSM in Seattle, WA particularly targeting immigrants who may not identify as gay, ages 18-30 years old. The 16-week campaign included Spanish-language radio public service announcements (PSAs), a Web site, social media outreach, a reminder system using mobile technology, print materials and a toll-free hotline. 

In developing the PSAs, the Integrated Behavioral Model was used as a framework to reframe negative attitudes, beliefs and norms towards HIV testing with positive ones as well as to promote self-efficacy towards HIV testing. 

The campaign had a significant and immediate impact on attitudes, beliefs, norms and self-efficacy towards HIV testing as well as on actual behavior, with HIV testing rates increasing over time.

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By:  Solorio R1,2,3, Norton-Shelpuk P4, Forehand M5, Montaño D6, Stern J7, Aguirre J8,9, Martinez M9.

• 1Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, University of Washington, 4333 Brooklyn Ave NE., Box 359455, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA. solorio@u.washington.edu.
• 2Department of Global Health, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, USA. solorio@u.washington.edu.
• 3Social and Behavioral Prevention Core, University of Washington Center for AIDS Research, Seattle, WA, USA. solorio@u.washington.edu.
• 4Activate Brands, Denver, CO, USA.
• 5University of Washington Foster School of Business, Seattle, WA, USA.
• 6Battelle Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
• 7Department of Global Health, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, USA.
• 8Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, University of Washington, 4333 Brooklyn Ave NE., Box 359455, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
• 9Entre Hermanos, Seattle, WA, USA. 
• AIDS Behav. 2016 Feb 5. 

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Effect of Educational Leaflets on Knowledge & Attitude to Tuberculosis among Homeless Persons in Tokyo, Japan

SETTING:

Delay in seeking care is one of the critical issues in tuberculosis (TB) control among homeless persons in Japan. Yet knowledge of and attitude towards TB among homeless persons have remained unclear and limited efforts have been made to disseminate information related to TB among homeless persons.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the effect of TB leaflets, produced and distributed to homeless persons by a group of ex-homeless TB patients, and to understand what homeless persons know about TB.

DESIGN:

Self-administered questionnaire was conducted among homeless persons before and after distribution of the TB leaflets. Changes in the responses to each question were also subjected to principal component analysis to group questions into types according to response patterns and identify constructs of TB-related knowledge.

RESULTS:

Results of 88 participants were analyzed. TB knowledge score related to risks and symptoms significantly improved after the intervention (from 54.3% to 70.6%, p < 0.05), while knowledge on treatment cost did not. Two components were identified, namely, the "improvement in TB impression" and "improvement in TB knowledge".

CONCLUSION:

TB leaflets were effective in improving certain aspects of TB knowledge. However, its effect on knowledge regarding treatment cost, which may be crucial in improving delay, was limited and thus the messages need to be revised.

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By:   Kawatsu L, Uchimura K, Watabe H, Kaguraoka S, Kubota Y, Sakakibara M, Ishikawa N.

 

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The Impact of a Social Marketing Campaign on HIV and Sexually Transmissible Infection Testing among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Australia

BACKGROUND:

In response to increasing HIV and other sexually transmissible infection (HIV/STI) notifications in Australia, a social marketing campaign Drama Downunder (DDU) was launched in 2008 to promote HIV/STI testing among men who have sex with men (MSM). We analyzed prospective data from (1) an online cohort of MSM and (2) clinic-level HIV/STI testing to evaluate the impact of DDU on HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

(1) Cohort participants who completed 3 surveys (2010-2014) contributed to a Poisson regression model examining predictors of recent HIV testing.(2) HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia tests among MSM attending high caseload primary care clinics (2007-2013) were included in an interrupted time series analysis.

RESULTS:

(1) Although campaign awareness was high among 242 MSM completing 726 prospective surveys, campaign recall was not associated with self-reported HIV testing. Reporting previous regular HIV testing (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 2.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-4.4) and more than 10 partners in the previous 6 months (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 1.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.4) was associated with recent HIV testing. (2) Analysis of 257,023 tests showed increasing monthly HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia tests pre-DDU. Post-DDU, gonorrhea test rates increased significantly among HIV-negative MSM, with modest and nonsignificant increasing rates of HIV, syphilis, and chlamydia testing. Among HIV-positive MSM, no change in gonorrhea or chlamydia testing occurred and syphilis testing declined significantly.

CONCLUSIONS:

Increasing HIV/STI testing trends among MSM occurred pre- and post-DDU, coinciding with other plausible drivers of testing. Modest changes in HIV testing post-DDU suggest that structural changes to improve testing access may need to occur alongside health promotion to increase testing frequency.

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By:   Wilkinson AL1, Pedrana AE, El-Hayek C, Vella AM, Asselin J, Batrouney C, Fairley CK, Read TR, Hellard M, Stoové M.

• 1From the *Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia; †School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; ‡Department Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA; §Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men's Health Service, South Yarra, Australia; ¶Alfred Health, Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Melbourne, Australia; ∥Central Clinical School Monash University, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; and **Alfred Health, Infectious Disease Department, Alfred Hospital, Australia. 

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Promoting HIV Testing for Gay and Bisexual Men: An Evaluation of the 2011-2012 Campaign in Toronto and Ottawa

This article reports on a social marketing campaign directed toward high-risk men who have sex with men in Toronto and Ottawa to encourage testing for HIV and syphilis; improve knowledge about HIV transmission, seroconversion symptoms, and the HIV window period; and heighten awareness of syphilis transmission and its relationship to facilitating HIV transmission. Evaluation data were collected from a large-scale online pre-and postcampaign survey of sexually active men who have sex with men and from laboratory testing data. Men who turned up to be tested also filled out an exit survey. 

The campaign websites attracted some 15,000 unique visitors, 

• 54% of whom had an IP address in Toronto or Ottawa. 
• Laboratory data showed a 20% increase in HIV testing in Toronto over the campaign compared to the previous year. 
• The overall rate of HIV-positive tests remained relatively constant. 
• Knowledge levels about seroconversion symptoms, sexually transmitted infection and HIV transmission, and the HIV window period were significantly better among postcampaign survey respondents aware of the campaign compared to postcampaign respondents who were not aware and compared to precampaign respondents.

Via:  http://ht.ly/SyeKk  Purchase full article at: http://goo.gl/rC7LtS

By: Adam BD1, Gardner S2, Major C3, Campbell D3, Light L3, Globerman J3.

• 1University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada Ontario HIV Treatment Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 2University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Ontario HIV Treatment Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• 3Ontario HIV Treatment Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

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