Social media intervention increases HIV testing and condom use among MSM in Chinese resource-limited setting

BACKGROUND: Social media intervention may enhance HIV prevention among men who have sex with men, but the effect of this intervention in resource-limited settings remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: This randomized controlled trial evaluated whether a social media intervention grounded in the information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model could be beneficial for HIV prevention among men who have sex with men in resource-limited settings. METHODS: Participants were recruited in Nanning, China, between April 2023 and April 2024. Eligible participants were randomly assigned to either the social media intervention group or the routine HIV prevention services control group. Participants in the intervention group received a 3-month social media intervention, which included completing video-based tasks. Baseline surveys were conducted, followed by follow-up surveys every 3 months, for a total of 2 follow-ups. Outcomes included HIV testing uptake, high-risk behavior, AIDS-related knowledge, safe sex self-efficacy, and attitude. RESULTS: A total of 180 eligible men who have sex with men were enrolled (90 per group). Follow-up rates were 97.8% (88/90) and 95.5% (86/90) for the intervention and control groups, respectively. At the follow-ups, the intervention group demonstrated significantly higher uptake of HIV testing, a lower proportion of participants reporting high-risk sexual behaviors, and higher condom use self-efficacy compared to the control group (all P<.05). After controlling for sociodemographic variables, generalized estimating equations analysis revealed that the intervention group had significantly higher odds of HIV testing (risk ratio [RR] 1.739, 95% CI 1.110-2.730), HIV self-testing (RR 2.306, 95% CI 1.593-3.340), and consistent condom use (RR 2.457, 95% CI 1.636-3.690) than the control group. Cochran-Armitage trend tests within the intervention group revealed that with increasing intervention duration, both HIV testing and HIV self-testing significantly increased, while high-risk sexual behaviors significantly decreased (all P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: The social media intervention guided by the IMB model demonstrated a positive effect on expanding HIV testing coverage, reducing high-risk behavior, enhancing AIDS-related knowledge, and improving safer sex self-efficacy among men who have sex with men in resource-limited settings. These findings provide valuable guidance for future HIV prevention and control efforts targeting this population.