Online HIV Prevention Vignette Evaluation

Overview

This is an evaluation of the effect that an online live action, dramatic vignette about four gay men, two HIV positive and two HIV negative, struggling with the responsibility for safer sex has on the sexual behavior and HIV testing intentions of the gay/bisexual men who watch the vignette and participate in the evaluation study. The primary hypothesis is that men will be more likely to: 1)express the intent to have an HIV test and 2) to express the intent to inform their sex partners of their HIV status after watching the vignette. The secondary hypothesis is that men will be more likely to follow through on these intentions in the three months following the intervention than they were in the three months before viewing the vignette. This is a one group pre-posttest intervention in which each man serves as his own control.

* Men over 18 years of age will be recruited for the study through a banner posted on the exit page of manhunt.net an internet gay hook-up site. Those clicking on the banner will go to the evaluation website (www.hivbigdeal.org) * asked to read the consent and click agreement. * asked to complete a relatively brief questionnaire about their sexual behavior, HIV testing and HIV disclosure in the preceding three months * watch the 8 minute dramatic vignette * complete a brief questionnaire that elicits their response to the video and their HIV testing and disclosure intentions. * if they agree to provide the study with their e-mail address, participants will be re-contacted in three months and asked to complete a second behavioral survey online that asks about sexual behavior, HIV testing and HIV disclosure in the three months since watching the vignette.Behavior before and after watching the vignette will be compared. * The entire study will be conducted online.