A parallel-group non-inferiority randomized controlled trial will then be conducted to evaluate the performance of HIVST-Chatbot. A total of 528 Hong Kong Chinese speaking men who have sex with men (MSM) aged ≥18 years who have access to live-chat applications are recruited from multiple sources. Those who are diagnosed as HIV positive are excluded. Participants are 1:1 randomized into the intervention group (n=264) or the control group (n=264). The research team will implement the HIVST-Chatbot (HIVST services with real-time counselling provided by a fully-automated artificial intelligence Chatbot) in the intervention group and HIVST-OIC (HIVST with real-time counselling provided by trained administrators) in the control group. Participants completed two telephone surveys at baseline and six months afterwards.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
564
Promote and implement HIVST-Chatbot
Promote and implement HIVST-OIC
Centre for Health Behaviours Research, the Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Uptake of HIV self-testing
Proportion of participants who use HIV self-testing during the 6-month follow-up period
Time frame: 6 months
Proportion of HIV self-testing users receiving counselling along with testing
Proportion of HIV self-testing users receiving counselling along with testing during the 6-month follow-up period
Time frame: 6 months
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