Health ads on social media reach Rhode Island MSM

Issue: January 2016

ATLANTA — An estimated one in four Rhode Island gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men viewed health prevention banner ads on online dating apps and “clicked through” to the state’s health department website, where they could access information regarding sexually transmitted diseases and HIV clinical services.

“With the widespread use of cellphone apps and other technology, the Internet has become a popular choice among gay, bisexual and other MSM for meeting partners,” Thomas E. Bertrand, MPH, chief of the Office of HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STDs and TB at the Rhode Island Department of Health, told Infectious Disease News.

Thomas E. Bertrand

In Rhode Island, syphilis cases increased among MSM from 52 cases in 2013 to 80 cases in 2014, according to researchers. Approximately one in three of these cases were HIV-positive, they said. From 2013 to 2014, HIV cases in this population also increased — from 40 cases to 56 cases. According to interviews conducted with MSM diagnosed with HIV in 2014, more than 90% indicated that they met their sexual partners through social networking websites and geo-targeted smartphone apps.

Rhode Island health officials are using “eye catching” ads on online dating apps to reduce the incidence of STDs and HIV in men.

Source: Rhode Island Department of Health

Although research focusing on the impact of social media on STD rates is lacking, a 2014 study by Chan and colleagues suggests the introduction of Craigslist was related to an average 15.9% increase in reported HIV cases over a 10-year period across 33 states. This translates to a yearly estimate of 94 new infections per state, 6,130 to 6,455 new cases nationally, and $62 million to $65.3 million in treatment costs.

As part of a new statewide project, Bertrand and colleagues developed a custom Web page on the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) website, called “Sexual Health Information for Gay Men.” The page includes information about STD and HIV prevention and links to both testing services and a separate website — www.Men2Menri.org — designed to help men find “gay-friendly doctors” in the state, according to the researchers.

The project also included a 6-week paid advertising campaign. According to Bertrand, focus groups were used to develop the ads and campaign message, which were displayed on several online dating websites and apps such as Grindr, and linked to the custom RIDOH website. Emails directing MSM to the RIDOH website also were used in the campaign.

Immediately following the campaign’s launch, the custom Web page became one of the top 10 most visited pages on the RIDOH website, netting an average of 206 page views per day, the researchers said. A large majority (approximately 92%) of the Web traffic comprised mobile phone users. The researchers observed spikes in traffic as the public health ads appeared across the various dating websites. In addition, www.Men2Menri.org experienced a 125% increase in visits during the campaign.

Compared with the average 2-month period before the campaign began, there was a “substantial increase” in the number of patients visiting STD clinics in Rhode Island — from 13 to 23 — who cited the RIDOH as their referral source, according to Bertrand and colleagues. The researchers estimated that approximately 20% to 30% of MSM in the state viewed a campaign banner ad on the targeted dating websites and clicked through to the RIDOH website.

“Creating trust with gay, bisexual and other MSM patients who have a STD, and understanding how they meet their partners, is essential for ensuring treatment of partners and preventing reinfection among patients,” Bertrand said. – by John Schoen

References:

Bertrand T, et al. Abstract 1232. Presented at: National HIV Prevention Conference; Dec. 6-9, 2015; Atlanta.

Chan J, et al. MIS Quarterly. 2014;38:955-976.

For more information:

The “Sexual Health Information for Gay Men” Web page can be found at: http://www.health.ri.gov/sex/for/gaymen.

Disclosure: Bertrand reports no relevant financial disclosures.