New study highlights possibility for outreach, prevention information through smartphone app
A new study from the University of Georgia College of Public Health is shedding light on how smartphones might help prevent HIV among people who inject drugs—a group that faces high risk and often has limited access to trusted health information.
Researchers explored Northeast Georgian’s openness to a smartphone app featuring reliable HIV prevention information and support for using pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. Georgia has one of the highest rates of new HIV diagnoses in the country, but uptake of PrEP, a medication that can dramatically reduce the risk of HIV, is still low, especially among people who inject drugs.
A first step toward understanding
Led by Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management Mohammad Rifat Haider and his team, the study utilized survey responses from 130 adults who inject drugs and who reported using the internet. Despite many participants being homeless or living below the poverty line, about 90% said they had a mobile device with internet access, and roughly two-thirds used the internet daily. But nearly three-fourths said they had never sought HIV information online.
“We collected data from two homeless shelters and food banks in Athens,” said Haider. “Surprisingly, we found that many of them had access to smartphones. When we asked about internet use, they told us they are innovative about accessing the internet. They go to the library, they use Wi-Fi at shelters—that tells us there’s a big opportunity to reach this population.”
Almost half of participants said they would be willing to use an app focused on PrEP uptake and use. The study also found that people who had previously looked for HIV information online were nearly three times more likely to be open to using a PrEP-focused mobile app compared to those who hadn’t.
“The takeaway is we need to make them aware of their risk and show them relevant sites or information where they can have solid, validated information,” Haider said. “If they have the information, they will be motivated to ask for more or change their behavior.”
Supporting an underserved population
People who inject drugs account for an estimated 8-10% of new HIV infections in the U.S. every year, yet awareness about PrEP in this population remains low, Haider added.
“PrEP is mostly marketed and used among men who have sex with men, because it was found more effective among this population,” Haider said. “It is understandable that people who inject drugs may not have the same level of awareness about PrEP or their risk for HIV infection.”
The study was supported by a seed grant which has helped lay the groundwork for new HIV-prevention interventions in this population. Haider is now working on a digital telehealth program funded through his NIH-K grant, which aims to address not only HIV prevention but also other challenges faced by people who inject drugs.
“It’s a quintessential seed grant,” he said. “We started from really understanding the problem. We’re now laying the rationale for our next line of research and work.”
Several student researchers were integral in this study, Haider added, including doctoral student Samantha Clinton and undergraduate Odalis Marcial.
