Adaptive, Regionally- and Individually-Tailored, AI-Based Intervention to Increase HIV Testing and Prevention in Philadelphia

About This Grant

PROJECT SUMMARY This ambitious research project will test the effectiveness and dissemination of a digital intervention to promote home HIV testing and linkage to PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) among Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) in Philadelphia. In alignment with the strategic priorities of the Office of HIV Health in the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH), the experimental arm will deliver tailored social-media and SMS messages and nudges generated by a local Community Advisory Board (CAB) and Al-driven algorithms. We will randomize MSM participants (N = 1,000) to one of two conditions. The standard of care arm will involve the PhillyKeepOnLoving social marketing campaign that the PDPH is currently implementing and future city campaigns. The primary effectiveness outcome is annual routine HIV testing and PrEP (2 HIV tests at least 4 months apart from one another for HIV-negative participants and PrEP), and secondary effectiveness outcomes are ART uptake and retention, as well as sexual risk behavior. Implementation outcomes include reach, adoption, implementation, and maintenance, and dissemination outcomes include the number of shares and likes of the messages from the campaign. We will also evaluate mediators, including the personal relevance and trustworthiness of the messages, as well as motivation, information, and behavioral skills to seek services. This trial, led by an outstanding team and involving institutions committed to successful HIV prevention, will help to advance the Respond pillar of the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative. Through a novel synergy, the proposed research may transform how future campaigns are conducted to engage participants in HIV prevention leveraging LLMs (Large Language Models) and community engagement.