Social Networking Strategy:
Using Social Networks to
Recruit for HIV Testing
Loralee Trocio, MPH
Cessa Karson-Whitethorn, MPH
Social Networks
• Individuals are linked together to form large social
networks
– Spread infectious diseases
– Route for delivering disease prevention services
Social Networks
Brief History
• Social networks approach to syphilis contact interviewing has
been happening since the 1960s
• Gained widespread attention with the appearance of HIV/AIDS in
the 1980s
Social Networks Strategy (SNS)
Primary Goals
1. Find undiagnosed HIV positive people who are unaware of
their status
2. Engage HIV negative people through HIV testing
SNS in
Action
County/CBO
Staff
Network
Associate/
Recruiter
Recruiter
Network
Associates
The Social Network
Demonstration Project
• 9 organizations in 7 cities
– October 1, 2003 – December 31, 2005
• 422 Recruiters referred 3,172 peers
– 177 were determined to be HIV+
• 63% successfully linked to services
• HIV prevalence rate is almost 5 times
higher than other testing programs
funded by the CDC
– SNS - 5.6% among those recruited
– ~ 1% in other testing sites
What’s
happening
at home?
2009 Special Project Funds
from CDC
6 counties applied.
4 counties received funding.
All counties who began SNS have continued to implement the
intervention without additional funding.
Oregon At a Glance
County
# of
# of
Recruiters NA
# of HIV # HIV+
Tests
Participants
HIV
Prevalence
Rate
0
Marion
61
18
79
0
Benton /
Linn
3
1
2
0
0
Lane
Douglas
46
7
110
10
111
2
10
0
9%
0
Yamhill
0
0
0
0
0
Totals
117
139
194
10
5.2%
10 Participants Tested HIV+ via SNS
10/194 = 5.2 % prevalence rate of those tested via SNS
Lane County
+
-
HIV +
Recruiter
HIV +
Network
Associate
HIV Recruiter
-
+
+
-
-
--
-
+
-
-
HIV Network
Associate
+
-
-
+
-
-
-
-
-
+
+
-
-
-
+
-
+
-
+
-
-
-
-
Use of Incentives for HIV Testing
• $10 - $25 incentives for recruiters and network
associates
• Participant refusal of incentives
– Potential to implement with limited funds
Lessons Learned
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Challenges
Split roles of county staff
Paperwork developed
sHIVer continued to evolve
Self care for SNS staff
MSM recruiters are
hard to identify, recruit and
train
Two year plateau
Staff turnover
NA are not found via
traditional practices
Triumphs
• Identification of new HIV
positive individuals
• Partnering SNS with other HIV
prevention programs
• Reaching hard to reach
populations
• Clinic staff is an essential
component to success
• New partnerships
• Great data for Oregon’s
application for an expanded
SNS demonstration project
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
SNS Partners
Douglas County
Harm Reduction Center Southern Oregon
Marion County
Lane County
HIV Alliance
Yamhill County
Benton-Linn
Megan Johnson
Matt Navarre
OHA HIV Prevention Program Staff
The Future
Enhanced SNS Demonstration Project
•
•
•
•
•
Engagement of all Ryan White Part B Case Managers
Partner with adult business
Use Partner Services data
Dual rapid test algorithm
Peer testing component
or more information,
ontact Loralee Trocio:
[email protected]
Prevent HIV Oregon
@Prevent_HIV _OR