Audio Visual Representation of PreExposure Prophylaxis (PrEP Rep): Innovations for Informing and Motivating Potential and Current PrEP Users
| Project Dates: | 2013-01-01 - 2013-12-31 |
| Region: | United States |
| Research Area: |
HIV (All HIV Research) HIV Interventions - General Prevention |
| Funding Agency: |
Gilead |
| PI: |
Amico, K. Rivet |
| Status: | Active |
Project Summary:
With the FDA’s July 2012 approval of TDF/FTC for pre-exposure prophylaxis for MSM and heterosexual men and women in the US, hundreds of individuals are anticipated to adopt PrEP in the near future, or have already done so, in the context of demonstration and open-label studies as well as in the general community. With interest in PrEP estimated as high within MSM and other at-high-risk communities, both those considering PrEP and those already using it could benefit from educational material that clearly conveys support for PrEP available to date, mechanisms of HIV infection and how PrEP may avert infections. Considerable research supports the value of using media to convey complex concepts like ‘reduced risk of HIV-infection’ and other probabilistic odds of health outcomes generated at the aggregate level. Moreover, with considerable interest in PrEP emanating from communities that may have challenges in health literacy and numeracy, the need for targeted educational strategies that are matched to potential and current PrEP user preferences for learning is essential. The kinds of literature and educational material presently available, including media freely available on the internet for HIV-infection, are not tailored to the potential or current PrEP user. Rather they tend to be highly medical and complex (targeted towards care providers and medical professionals) or over-simplified. Despite a wide and diverse group of potential consumers of a media clip that educates and fosters motivation for those who do chose to adopt PrEP, current educational material lacks the dynamics, visual appeal, imagery and coverage of HIV-infection, PrEP efficacy and PrEP mechanisms to be highly effective in either educating or motivating members of the communities that are considering or adopting PrEP. The current project will address this gaps and needs by developing an audio visual media clip that uses narration, graphics and medical animation to contextualize HIV infection in US, depict the process of HIV-infection and suggest imagery for HIV-prevention through consistent adherence to daily PrEP. Specifically, the project has 3 objectives. Representations of PrEP (PrEP REP) seeks; (1) To develop a brief (7 minute) media video that comprehensively descripts and visually depicts TDF/FTC for PrEP and the role of PrEP-adherence in the context of the HIV epidemic in the US, mechanisms of HIV infection, and heuristics for potential actions of PrEP in promoting HIV prevention; (2) To evaluate the immediate impact of viewing the developed animated video on PrEP-related information and targeted aspects of PrEP adherence motivation (eg., beliefs, attitudes, and intentions) with a total of 60 young adult MSM (30 PrEP naive MSM from the community and 30 current PrEP users from iPrEx OLE or ATN110/113 studies conducted at CORE); and (3) To disseminate the final animated video to demonstration projects and websites where potential users of PrEP seek out PrEP-related information.