Participants randomised to the control group did not receive anything.Īll participants were asked to complete online surveys every three months. Further kits could be requested during the year. Half the participants were randomised to receive four self-testing kits in the mail at the beginning of the year: two of the kits were OraQuick oral fluid tests and two were Sure Check finger-prick blood tests. Those who had already used self-testing tended to be older, more affluent and have riskier sexual behaviour. Of note, 10% had previously used a self-test, usually obtained online or from a pharmacy.
While 17% had never tested for HIV and 23% had not tested in the last year (groups which new testing interventions aim to reach), 60% had tested in the last year. in terms of age, gender, CD4 count and years since diagnosis). This isn’t a problem as long as the characteristics of the sample are similar to those of the wider group (e.g. Because it is impractical to conduct a study with such a large group, only a sub-group (a sample) takes part in a study. Studies aim to give information that will be applicable to a large group of people (e.g. The advertising engaged a relatively affluent sample – most participants were employed (85%), were educated beyond high school (84%) and had health insurance (81%). The average age of participants was 30 years and 58% were white, 10% were black, 23% Hispanic, and 9% other or mixed race. Recruitment advertising appeared on social media, dating websites and music websites. In 2015, the project recruited 2665 men who have sex with men.
GAY VIDEOS FREE SAMPLES TRIAL
He was reporting the results of eSTAMP (Evaluation of HIV Self-testing Among MSM Project), a randomised controlled trial conducted with gay and bisexual men in the United States. There was significantly more HIV testing in the intervention group: 79% reported testing for HIV at least three times during the year, compared to 22% in the control group. Providing free HIV self-testing kits to gay and bisexual men is an effective way to increase the frequency with which men test for HIV and the number of new HIV diagnoses, Robin MacGowan of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told the 9th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2017) in Paris, France, today.