Memorandum Donald Suggs
To: CC: From:
Omar-Xavior R. Ford
Date:
7/23/2016
Re:
Internet Outreach
Training Manual The manual was inspired from a presentation done by a research group at the CDC Prevention Conference in 2002. The research seemed to lack “community member” input as it pertained to men of color. Most of the reporting did not correlate with internet usage of inner city communities. The manual was designed to provide a community based approach to outreaching to men of color on the internet. The manual illustrates usage of technology of various instant massager systems, chat rooms and popular websites that men of color frequent. The manual also gives real examples of internet outreach practices that will allow the internet user to talk openly about issues pertaining to sexual health and services. Previous attempts to outreach online were aggressive approaches to online chatters. Most chatters indicated that they did not like it when they were approached about prevention. Our approach was just to be present in the chat rooms and on websites. Internet users view our profile and can contact our outreach staff when they are ready. The key to this approach is to have a consistent present online and allowing internet chatters to approach us for information.
Case Finding Internet profiles were created on various websites that men of color frequent and on AOL.COM that highlight Rapid Testing. The profile lists the screen names of our internet outreach peers allowing the user can contact a peer to ask questions or schedule an appointment to have the Mobil Testing Unit come to their area and administer Rapid Testing. During the first 2 months of the initial profile creation, internet users contacted peers asking about the OraQuick Advance technology as well as the reliability of the test. Questions about symptoms and incubation periods of HIV/STI were also concerns. (92) Internet users contacted peers were encouraged to ask as many clarifying questions about Rapid Testing and offered an opportunity to schedule appointments to be tested. From the total 35 internet tests, 5 of them were positive. The 5 positives were then given the opportunity to be linked into care with HU.
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July 23, 2016
Focus Groups On 7/27/05 and 8/05/05 2 hour focus groups were conducted via internet chat rooms. The first focus group discussed prevention messages that are on the net the impact, if any they have on internet users accessing services. Most of the participants admitted to not even seeing prevention ads on the internet and the ones that did see the ads felt the ads didn’t not represent them or their community. Where community members congregated for sex was also part of the discussion. For many of the participants on the internet, they expressed how much more efficient cruising on the internet for sex was then going out the parks. The second focus group discussed men’s sexual practices, condom usage and perceived risk factors. The participants discussed images on the internet when it came to prevention messages and stated that a lot of the images mis-representations. The chiseled hard bodies are not all that make up men of color and they talked about the images seen in media ads on subways and in magazines. They would like to see more universal images that represent men of color.
The focus group feed back as well as some of the internet conversations the illustrate contact to come into the office to be tested, appointment for mobile testing and just general HIV/AIDS question is included in with this memo. The “Focus Groups” now happen on a regular basis every Monday night from 7pm-12pm.
Omar-Xavior R. Ford
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