@Article{info:doi/10.2196/66702,
author="He, Lin
and Jiang, Shaoqiang
and Jiang, Tingting
and Chen, Wanjun
and Zheng, Jinlei
and Wang, Hui
and Chai, Chengliang",
title="A Comparison of Mobile Social Media Promotion and Volunteer-Driven Strategies for Community Organizations Recruiting Men Who Have Sex with Men for HIV Testing in Zhejiang Province, China: Cross-Sectional Study Based on a Large-Scale Survey",
journal="J Med Internet Res",
year="2025",
month="Feb",
day="13",
volume="27",
pages="e66702",
keywords="men who have sex with men; MSM; internet; recruit; HIV testing; community organization; strategy; China; mobile phone",
abstract="Background: China has recently implemented a strategy to promote and facilitate community organization involvement in HIV prevention among men who have sex with men (MSM). Although community-based strategies have been shown to increase HIV testing uptake, the relative effectiveness of mobile social media promotion compared with volunteer-driven recruitment remains underexplored. Limited research has investigated how these strategies differentially affect MSM who have not undergone previous HIV testing. Objective: This study aimed to compare the differences between a mobile social media promotion strategy and a volunteer-driven strategy for community organizations to recruit MSM for HIV testing. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from July to December 2023 among MSM in Zhejiang Province, China. Participants aged 16 years with an HIV-negative or unknown status were recruited either through a mobile social media promotion strategy or through a volunteer-driven strategy by a community organization. They completed a questionnaire that collected information on demographics, sexual behavior, and HIV testing history. All participants were tested for HIV after completing the questionnaire. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with recruitment through mobile social media promotion. Results: The study included 4600 MSM, of whom 3035 (66{\%}) were recruited through the mobile social media strategy. Overall, 1.4{\%} (66/4600) of participants tested positive for HIV, and 18.8{\%} (865/4600) underwent HIV testing for the first time. Recruitment via the mobile social media promotion strategy was significantly associated with several factors: having only gay sexual partners (adjusted OR [aOR] 1.23, 95{\%} CI 1.05-1.45), having more than 2 sexual partners in the past 3 months (aOR 1.74, 95{\%} CI 1.42-2.11), frequently using rush poppers during sex (aOR 1.39, 95{\%} CI 1.14-1.99), having a history of sexually transmitted infections (aOR 1.56, 95{\%} CI 1.02-2.39), having awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (aOR 1.42, 95{\%} CI 1.19-1.71), having awareness of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP; aOR 1.49, 95{\%} CI 1.24-1.79), using mail-in HIV self-testing kits (aOR 2.02, 95{\%} CI 1.77-2.31), testing HIV-positive (aOR 2.02, 95{\%} CI 1.10-3.72), and first-time HIV testing (aOR 1.28, 95{\%} CI 1.09-1.52). Conclusions: Community organizations play a critical role in expanding HIV testing and identifying undiagnosed individuals infected with HIV. Compared to the volunteer-driven outreach, mobile social media promotion strategies had a higher proportion of first-time testers and a higher rate of HIV positivity. We recommend prioritizing mobile social media strategies in regions with limited LGBTQ+ organizations or HIV health services to increase HIV testing coverage and interventions among MSM. ",
issn="1438-8871",
doi="10.2196/66702",
url="https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e66702",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/66702"
}