CHALO! 2.0: A Mobile Technology Based Intervention to Accelerate HIV Testing and Linkage to Preventive Treatment.
- Conditions
- Hiv
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Digital coupon only (DCO)Behavioral: CHALO! 2.0Behavioral: Attention-matched control (AMC)
- Registration Number
- NCT04814654
- Lead Sponsor
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Brief Summary
While HIV prevalence among MSM in India is 10-15 times higher than in the general population (4.3% vs 0.3%), current interventions for Indian MSM have limited reach. In order to reduce the burden of HIV in MSM, innovative, far-reaching prevention and treatment strategies are needed. Guided by the increase access to internet-based social and mobile technologies (SMT) (e.g. SMS, WhatsApp, dating apps) globally and in India, this is a 3-arm parallel, pragmatic randomized controlled trial of community-developed, theory based behavioral intervention (CHALO! 2.0) delivered via WhatsApp (secure SMS application) compared to an Attention-Matched Control, or a Digital Coupon for free HIV testing only control conditions. The primary outcomes are HIV-testing at 6 months (3 months after the end of the intervention) and linkage-to-preventive care (counseling or pre-exposure prophylaxis) at 12 months. The secondary outcomes are the frequency of HIV-testing by 18 months.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- Male
- Target Recruitment
- 1005
- live or work in Mumbai or Thane
- fluent in Hindi or English
- have had anal sex with men in the past one year
- report that they have either never been tested for HIV, are unaware of HIV test results, or are HIV-negative with last HIV test at any time, and have engaged in anal sex since last HIV test
- able to provide and verify a WhatsApp mobile number and email address
- willing to answer online surveys for 18 months
- participating in a concurrent HIV-related study
- intention to move out of the Mumbai metropolitan area in the next six months
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Digital coupon only control (DCO) Digital coupon only (DCO) MSM randomized to the DCO arm will receive, at study entry, a digital coupon for free HIV testing and a study specific webpage link listing testing and MSM specific services. CHALO! 2.0 CHALO! 2.0 MSM randomized to this arm will receive twice weekly digital media messages for 12 weeks about HIV, HIV-testing, prevention, and treatment and a a link to a study-specific webpage listing MSM specific testing, prevention, and care resources. Participants will also be able to interact with online outreach workers. Attention-matched control (AMC) Attention-matched control (AMC) MSM randomized to the AMC arm will receive twice weekly digital media messages for 12 weeks about general health and a link to a study-specific webpage listing testing resources and MSM-specific services. Participants will also be able to interact with online outreach workers.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method HIV testing within 12 months from randomization dichotomous measure (yes/no) of receipt of a verified HIV test
Linkage to care within 12 months from randomization a composite of linkage to PrEP, counseling, or HIV treatment (yes/no)
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Linkage to HIV treatment within 12 months from randomization a dichotomous measure (yes/no) of whether participants testing HIV positive sought out treatment.
Linkage to counseling within 12 months from randomization a dichotomous measure (yes/no) of whether participants sought out counseling treatment.
Linkage to ART initiation within 12 months from randomization a dichotomous measure (yes/no) of whether participants testing HIV positive initiated ART treatment.
Follow-up HIV testing within 18 months from randomization frequency of HIV testing (verified)
Linkage to PrEP within 12 months from randomization a dichotomous measure (yes/no) of whether participants testing HIV negative sought out PrEP.
Linkage to care within 18 months from randomization a composite of linkage to PrEP, counseling, or HIV treatment (yes/no)
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
The Humsafar Trust
🇮🇳Mumbai, Maharashtra, India