Lessons learned from use of social network strategy in HIV testing programs targeting African American men who have sex with men

D.H. McCree, G. Millett, C. Baytop, S. Royal, J. Ellen, P.N. Halkitis, S.A. Kupprat and S. Gillen

American Journal of Public Health, 2013, vol. 103, issue 10, 1851-1856

Abstract: Objectives. We report lessons derived from implementation of the Social Network Strategy (SNS) into existing HIV counseling, testing, and referral services targeting 18- to 64-year-old Black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods. The SNS procedures used in this study were adapted from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded, 2-year demonstration project involving 9 community-based organizations (CBOs) in 7 cities. Under the SNS, HIV-positive and HIV-negative men at high risk for HIV (recruiters) were enlisted to identify and recruit persons from their social, sexual, or drug-using networks (network associates) for HIV testing. Sites maintained records of modified study protocols for ascertaining lessons learned. The study was conducted between April 2008 and May 2010 at CBOs in Washington, DC, and New York, New York, and at a health department in Baltimore, Maryland. Results. Several common lessons regarding development of the plan, staffing, training, and use of incentives were identified across the sites. Collectively, these lessons indicate use of SNS is resource-intensive, requiring a detailed plan, dedicated staff, and continual input from clients and staff for successful implementation. Conclusions. SNS may provide a strategy for identifying and targeting clusters of high-risk Black MSM for HIV testing. Given the resources needed to implement the strategy, additional studies using an experimental design are needed to determine the cost-effectiveness of SNS compared with other testing strategies.

Keywords: adolescent; adult; African American; article; ethnology; health promotion; human; Human immunodeficiency virus infection; male; male homosexuality; mass screening; methodology; middle aged; social network; United States, Adolescent; Adult; African Americans; Baltimore; District of Columbia; Health Promotion; HIV Seropositivity; Homosexuality, Male; Humans; Male; Mass Screening; Middle Aged; New York City; Social Networking; Young Adult (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2013.301260_0

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301260

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