HIV Testing
Studies Show Fewer Gay Teens Seek HIV Testing
9 years ago
There is a reason that HIV is once again on the rise for young homosexual men. A recent study revealed that only about 20% of individuals in this high-risk group have ever been tested for the disease. Testing is critical for multiple reasons. For example, it can aid in the prevention of further transmission as well as get the infected individual lifesaving treatment. So why are so few getting tested?
“Where Can I Get an HIV Test?”
One of the primary reasons that young gay men say they have never been tested is because they simply do not know where to go for testing. One suggestion is that schools begin to provide testing, so that teens do not need to look for a place to get tested.
“What If Someone Sees Me?”
No one wants to be known as the kid at school with HIV. It is still tough enough for many gay teens to be known as a homosexual. Now add to that the stigma of being seen going for testing. It sends a message that kids don’t want to broadcast in world full of bullies and fearmongering.
“It Will Never Happen to Me”
Most teens feel invincible. They may say, “I take precautions. I’ll never get it,” or, “I know my partner isn’t infected.” Unfortunately, that sort of thinking is the perfect breeding ground for the spread of HIV.
The Wrong Trend
In 2008, a study of gay 18 and 19-year-old males showed that three-quarters had been tested for HIV. The drop in the number of young men getting tested has fallen significantly in just a few short years. This is a big deal when we’re talking about the single highest-risk group on the planet for the contraction of HIV.
Researchers see knowledge and ease of access as the primary means to combat this negative trend. Providing testing in schools would take away some of the stigma and make it easier for teens to get tested. This, in turn, can lead to greater prevention and earlier treatment, something vital for a high success rate.
Spike in HIV
9 years ago
by ADMIN
in HIV Testing
Spike in HIV: Testing Climbs Because of Face-to-Face Social Networking
One of the biggest concerns in the battle against the spread of HIV is not being aware that one is infected. This is the leading reason for HIV’s continuing spread in developed countries, like the United States of America. In fact, as many as one in five people who are infected with HIV are asymptomatic and completely unaware of the infection. Because of this, they usually continue in the high-risk activities that exposed them to HIV in the first place (i.e. men who have sex with men, sharing drug utensils, etc). Traditional counseling, training, and referral (CTR), are the current mainstream programs designed to spread awareness of HIV and prompt people to get tested. However, these usually yield minimal results (less than one percent of those tested in this manner are shown to be HIV positive). A new form of face-to-face social networking, however, has resulted in a spike in HIV among high-risk individuals. That is, more HIV infected individuals have been found, not that HIV has actually increased in the populations at the highest risk of contracting the disease. What has been behind this success in finding HIV-positive individuals?
Social network strategies (SNS) programs, focusing on high-risk environments that encourage people to refer their friends and acquaintances (with a small monetary reward for each tested referral), has yielded a roughly 2.5 percent increase in positive tests. These programs proactively find high-risk environments and the people within them, as opposed to the CTR programs, which passively foster testing. SNS programs actively prompts those with HIV-positive and unaffected alike to recruit others they know to be involved in the various high-risk activities commonly associated with HIV infection. Of course, some worry about the cost of rewarding individuals for ever reference that gets tested. Indeed, there has been a minimal amount of “abuse” of gaining a monetary reward for each tested referral (roughly $10-20 per tested referral). However, others feel that the spike in HIV found among high-risk people is worth this price, and that it will be more cost effective overall. For example, a study of SNS programs and testing methods illustrates that the 30th or 40th person referred for testing through SNS had just as high (if not a higher) probability of being HIV positive, as did the first five or ten people referred in this manner. Certainly, more people being aware of being HIV positive, and at an earlier stage of the infection, means more are able to seek earlier treatment. Indeed, it is very important for HIV infected patients to get onto the life-saving anti-retroviral regimen as early as possible. Doing so will suppress the virus and prevent the progression to AIDS.
HIV Testing Through Social Media
10 years ago
How to Get High Risk Men to Submit to HIV Testing: Use Social Media
Social media has become very prevalent in modern society, so why not put it to good use? A recent study showed that one such good use could be to help people exhibit more medically safe behaviors. In this particular study, the focus was on men who are at high risk to contract HIV.
Researchers got more than 100 sexually active homosexual males to participate in the study. They used ads on social networking sites to recruit these volunteers. The men were divided into two groups. Half of the men were placed in an HIV intervention group on Facebook. The other half was placed into a group that discussed health in general. Within each group, designated peer leaders chatted with members of the group, sent them direct messages, and posted on their Facebook walls.
The HIV group discussed matters that directly related to the disease, such as the importance of getting tested, and how to reduce risk by altering behaviors. The group that focused on general health stuck to topics such as nutrition and exercise. The study continued for 12 weeks, and despite the fact that there was nothing binding the men to keep up with the groups, the men as a group did and many participated regularly throughout the study.
At the beginning and end of the study, each participant was encourage to perform an at-home self-test for HIV as well as fill out a survey dealing with various topics related to the disease. What were the results?
The men in the HIV group proved more than twice as likely to take the HIV test. Even more astounding was that men in the HIV group were over 4 times more likely to take the survey. Those in the HIV group were also more active in chats and other group activities.
Clearly this study showed that social media can have benefits in affecting the behavior of those at risk for HIV, encouraging them both to take preventative measures and to be tested more regularly.
