Analyzing Social Support from Facebook on Viral Suppression among Young Black Men Who Have Sex with Men Living with HIV: A Pilot Study

Eleanor E. Friedman (), Natascha Del Vecchio, Joseph A. Mason, Samantha A. Devlin, Jessica P. Ridgway () and John A. Schneider
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Eleanor E. Friedman: Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 5065, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Natascha Del Vecchio: Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 5065, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Joseph A. Mason: Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 5065, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Samantha A. Devlin: Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 5065, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Jessica P. Ridgway: Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 5065, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
John A. Schneider: Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 5065, Chicago, IL 60637, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 10, 1-8

Abstract: Social support has been associated with viral suppression among persons living with HIV (PWH). We examined cross-sectional data from young Black men who have sex with men to see if sociodemographic factors, medical history, and egocentric Facebook social support measures are related to viral suppression. Differences between participants were examined using Chi-square, Fisher’s exact, or Wilcoxon Rank Sum Tests, with significance set at p = 0.10. Degree centrality ( p = 0.074) and Eigenvector centrality ( p = 0.087) were significant, indicating that PWH with unsuppressed viral loads had more social connections. These results contrast prior studies in the literature. Further research on online social support for PWH is needed.

Keywords: HIV; young black MSM; Facebook; viral suppression (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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