PMID- 35522470 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20220510 LR - 20220716 IS - 1438-8871 (Electronic) IS - 1439-4456 (Print) IS - 1438-8871 (Linking) VI - 24 IP - 5 DP - 2022 May 6 TI - Effect of a Popular Web Drama Video Series on HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in Singapore: Community-Based, Pragmatic, Randomized Controlled Trial. PG - e31401 LID - 10.2196/31401 [doi] LID - e31401 AB - BACKGROUND: Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) are at disproportionately higher risk of acquiring HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI). While HIV/STI testing rates among GBMSM are increasing worldwide, they remain suboptimal in a variety of settings. While many studies have attempted to evaluate the efficacy of a variety of community-based campaigns, including peer and reminder-based interventions on HIV/STI testing, however few have attempted to do so for a web drama series. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the effectiveness of a popular web drama video series developed by a community-based organization in Singapore for GBMSM on HIV and other STI testing behaviors. METHODS: The study is a pragmatic, randomized controlled trial to evaluate a popular web drama video series developed by a community-based organization in Singapore for GBMSM. A total of 300 HIV-negative, GBMSM men in Singapore aged 18 to 29 years old were recruited and block-randomized into the intervention (n=150) and control arms (n=150). Primary outcomes included changes in self-reported intention to test for, actual testing for, and regularity of testing for HIV, syphilis, chlamydia or gonorrhea, while secondary outcomes include changes in a variety of other knowledge-based and psychosocial measures at the end of the study period. RESULTS: Overall, 83.3% (125/150) of participants in the intervention arm completed the proof of completion survey, compared to 88.7% (133/150) in the control arm. We found improvements in self-reporting as a regular (at least yearly) tester for HIV (15.9% difference, 95% CI, 3.2% to 28.6%; P=.02), as well as chlamydia or gonorrhea (15.5% difference, 95% CI, 4.2% to 26.9%; P=.009), indicating that the intervention had positively impacted these outcomes compared to the control condition. We also found improvements in participants' intentions to test for HIV (16.6% difference, 95% CI, 4.3% to 28.9%; P=.009), syphilis (14.8% difference, 95% CI, 3.2% to 26.4%; P=.01), as well as chlamydia or gonorrhea (15.4% difference, 95% CI, 4.2% to 26.6%; P=.008), in the next 3 months, indicating that the intervention was effective in positively impacting intention for HIV and other STI testing among participants. CONCLUSIONS: There are clear benefits for promoting intentions to test regularly and prospectively on a broad scale through this intervention. This intervention also has potential to reach GBMSM who may not have access to conventional HIV and other STI prevention messaging, which have typically been implemented at sex-on-premises venues, bars, clubs, and in sexual health settings frequented by GBMSM. When coupled with community or population-wide structural interventions, the overall impact on testing will likely be significant. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04021953; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04021953. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033855. CI - (c)Rayner Kay Jin Tan, Wee Ling Koh, Daniel Le, Sumita Banerjee, Martin Tze-Wei Chio, Roy Kum Wah Chan, Christina Misa Wong, Bee Choo Tai, Mee Lian Wong, Alex R Cook, Mark I-Cheng Chen, Chen Seong Wong. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 06.05.2022. FAU - Tan, Rayner Kay Jin AU - Tan RKJ AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-9188-3368 AD - Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore. AD - University of North Carolina Project-China, Guangzhou, China. FAU - Koh, Wee Ling AU - Koh WL AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-7604-9247 AD - Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore. FAU - Le, Daniel AU - Le D AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-5761-1385 AD - Action for AIDS Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. FAU - Banerjee, Sumita AU - Banerjee S AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-5245-5718 AD - Action for AIDS Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. FAU - Chio, Martin Tze-Wei AU - Chio MT AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-5440-6688 AD - Department of Sexually Transmitted Infections Control Clinic, National Skin Centre, Singapore, Singapore. FAU - Chan, Roy Kum Wah AU - Chan RKW AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-7190-5892 AD - National Skin Centre, Singapore, Singapore. FAU - Wong, Christina Misa AU - Wong CM AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-2532-5181 AD - Behavioral, Epidemiological and Clinical Sciences, FHI 360, Durham, NC, United States. FAU - Tai, Bee Choo AU - Tai BC AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-4420-7746 AD - Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore. FAU - Wong, Mee Lian AU - Wong ML AUID- ORCID: 0000-0003-3697-3288 AD - Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore. FAU - Cook, Alex R AU - Cook AR AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-6271-5832 AD - Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore. FAU - Chen, Mark I-Cheng AU - Chen MI AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-9369-5830 AD - National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore. FAU - Wong, Chen Seong AU - Wong CS AUID- ORCID: 0000-0003-3127-2853 AD - National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore. LA - eng SI - ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT04021953 PT - Journal Article PT - Randomized Controlled Trial PT - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't DEP - 20220506 PL - Canada TA - J Med Internet Res JT - Journal of medical Internet research JID - 100959882 SB - IM MH - Adolescent MH - Adult MH - *Gonorrhea MH - *HIV Infections/diagnosis/prevention & control/psychology MH - Homosexuality, Male/psychology MH - Humans MH - Male MH - *Sexual and Gender Minorities MH - *Sexually Transmitted Diseases/diagnosis/prevention & control MH - Singapore MH - *Syphilis/diagnosis/prevention & control MH - Young Adult PMC - PMC9123545 OTO - NOTNLM OT - HIV OT - STI OT - eHealth OT - health promotion OT - mHealth OT - testing COIS- Conflicts of Interest: None declared. EDAT- 2022/05/07 06:00 MHDA- 2022/05/11 06:00 PMCR- 2022/05/06 CRDT- 2022/05/06 11:53 PHST- 2021/06/20 00:00 [received] PHST- 2022/04/09 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2022/03/09 00:00 [revised] PHST- 2022/05/06 11:53 [entrez] PHST- 2022/05/07 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2022/05/11 06:00 [medline] PHST- 2022/05/06 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - v24i5e31401 [pii] AID - 10.2196/31401 [doi] PST - epublish SO - J Med Internet Res. 2022 May 6;24(5):e31401. doi: 10.2196/31401.