HIV testing based on social media is a new case

Knowledge of social media help to promote high-risk men with HIV to get tested, a new British study suggests.

When researchers announced audit team for gay and bisexual men on social networks and applications, about 6,000 men returned kits saliva or blood samples require online service. Eighty-two of them were new to HIV (HIV) diagnosed that causes AIDS.

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appreciate in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, researchers found that about one in eight gay and bisexual men in the UK have HIV, but about 16 percent of these people are undiagnosed.

"The key to prevention and control of the HIV epidemic is to test as soon as possible and to manage and treat," said lead author Dr. Elliot Emilie, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London "The more. There are ways for this are more barriers reduced and are likely to reduce the weight of the diagnosed HIV ".

Write and her colleagues that HIV screening programs Community convenience, time and anonymity missing. These obstacles can enable by humans, be overcome in order to bring their own saliva or blood in your house. With home sign for gay and bisexual men on social networks and applications is one of the approaches.

The program analyzed in the new study began in November 2011 and is known as the home of Dean Street (DS @ H) known. Men who have sex with men have been invited to apply for a home collection kit via messages or banners on Gaydar, Facebook, Grindr and Recon.

Over a period of two years from January 2012 more than 17,000 men a risk assessment on the basis of HIV through the use of condoms have asked, HIV testing and sexual history. They received information about their HIV risk and offer a home collection kit to collect saliva or - from August 2013 - blood from a finger prick.

More than one third of men tested for HIV, did not and almost half were at risk of infection.

Ultimately asked 10,323 a kit Sampling and 5696 returned. In general, the kits of 121 people tested HIV-positive, and 82 were confirmed as new infections. People have informed their results by mail or telephone.

The program can reach people who otherwise can not prove with H @ Down syndrome as diagnosed rather than those to be diagnosed in the clinical researcher London later, Elliot said.

"We collect new cases and test people who would try otherwise not make so carefully," he told Reuters Health.

The main limitation of this study is that the risk of HIV, which is not returned to their sampling kits unknown.

Elliot said the program is always available. (Www.deanstreetathome.com)

In the UK, advises the National Health Service men who have sex with men who have an HIV test "at least once a year or every three months if having unprotected sex with new or casual partners."