# Engaging African American and Latino MSM for HIV Testing and Prevention Services through Technology

> **NIH ALLCDC U01** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $1,100,000

## Abstract

Abstract
Men who have sex with men (MSM) are a key risk group in the United States and are disproportionately
impacted in terms of HIV prevalence. The disparities experienced by MSM, and especially by Black and
Hispanic MSM, are explicitly recognized in the National HIV AIDS Strategy, which calls for reducing disparities
experienced by MSM, especially MSM of color. HIV testing is a key component of combination HIV prevention
packages. Testing allows men to be aware of their HIV infection status and serves as a stepping stone to
additional HIV prevention services, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis. Increasing testing rates among Black
and Hispanic MSM is a key component to reducing disparities among these groups. We propose a
comparative effectiveness study to assess the effects of two innovative strategies that combine online
recruitment and testing promotion strategies to increase HIV testing in Black and Hispanic/Latino MSM. The
two innovative strategies will be compared to a traditional recruiting strategy and comaprison condition
involving providing information about HIV testing and testing locations. The recruitment methods will be a
social networking and dating app targeted to MSM (Grindr) and advertisements on gay-related websites; these
recruiting strategies will be compared to a non-innovative strategy of targeted Facebook advertising. Innovative
testing promotion strategies will be an app-based HIV prevention portal (HealthMindr) and a mobile-optimized
website (healthMpowerment). Our primary aims are to conduct formative research to develop culturally
appropriate innovative recruiting and testing promotion strategies, conduct a comparative effectiveness study
to assess the effectiveness of each strategy in black and Hispanic MSM, and to develop a translation and
dissemination plan to support uptake of the resulting intervention strategies in state and local health
departments and community-based organizations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9955127
- **Project number:** 5U01PS005181-04
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Patrick Sean Sullivan
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $1,100,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2021-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9955127

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9955127, Engaging African American and Latino MSM for HIV Testing and Prevention Services through Technology (5U01PS005181-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9955127. Licensed CC0.

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