BMC Public Health. 2025 Sep 24;25(1):3084. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-24267-x.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Men who have sex with men (MSM) face a high risk of HIV infection. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends they test per 6-12 months. But traditional testing sites like hospitals can not fully meet MSM’s needs due to privacy issues. HIV self-testing (HIVST) offers privacy and flexibility, but improper use and incorrect result interpretation can happen. Getting feedback on HIVST results is vital for HIV prevention. The present study explores how different incentive methods affect HIVST feedback rates among MSM and why they choose to participate or not.
METHODS: A randomized study was conducted online among 354 individuals between January 1, 2024 and May 31, 2024. The inclusion criteria for the study required participants to be 18 years or older, self-identifying as members of the MSM population, being able to read and write Simplified Chinese and use smartphones, having engaged in male sexual activity within the past six months, and residing in Chongqing Municipality. Exclusion criteria included declining to participate, having mental or intellectual disabilities, or having serious concurrent illnesses. We randomly assigned participants into one of the 3 groups: (1) Free kit with free shipping group, (2) Extra CNY 20 incentive group; (3) Lottery incentivized group.
RESULTS: A total 516 MSM were submitted the online informed consents and 16 were excluded and 354 MSM (68.6%) in Chongqing were recruited and randomized in three groups, respectively. 336 (94.9%) participants reported HIV imaging results to their assistant. Five participants who tested positive for HIV and five participants who tested positive for syphilis. Overall, 312 (88.1%) of participants had ever tested for HIV, 42(11.9%) of kit recipients reported never have HIV detection. Our analysis revealed no significant difference in feedback regarding HIVST services among the groups. Overall, there were no significant differences in feedback rates between the groups at all time points (P > 0.05). However, trend analysis indicated a significant difference in the feedback rate trends among the three groups (P = 0.019).
CONCLUSION: Our results show no significant differences in feedback rates across groups at follow-up time points. Significant differences in feedback rate trends among the three groups were observed, with the extra lottery incentive providing more sustained motivation for feedback. And privacy concerns are crucial for expanding HIVST among MSM via social apps.
PMID:40993543 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-025-24267-x
