$7.9 Million Grant Awarded to Columbia University School of Nursing to Develop Mobile HIV Intervention for High Risk Young Men

According to statistics, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) comprise more than half of the population living with HIV/AIDS in the US despite accounting for only 2 percent of the population. Rebecca Schnall, PhD, assistant professor at Columbia University’s School of Nursing was awarded a $7.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to lead a research team in addressing this disparity by testing an HIV prevention mobile app developed specifically for high risk young men.

The project will be a five-year, multisite clinical trial to adapt and test MyPEEPS, an evidence driven intervention using mobile phone technology to deliver HIV prevention information to diverse, high risk, adolescent MSM. Using 700 racially and ethnically diverse men between the ages of 13-18, a randomized controlled trial will be conducted across four geographically diverse locations: Birmingham, Ala.; Chicago; New York City; and Seattle. MyPEEPS is an existing in-person intervention aimed at this population which employs a curriculum of six modules covering topics of correct condom use, dealing with stigma and shame, and tips on communicating effectively about safer sex. The research team will be developing MyPEEPS mobile to increase its accessibility and will feature games, videos, and interactive scenarios.

Schnall will be joined with co-principal investigator Robert Garofalo, MD, Division Head, Adolescent Medicine at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago; Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Garafalo’s team was responsible for developing and pilot testing the original MyPEEPS intervention.

The team’s mission is to provide this population with information to help make better health decisions. Young, diverse MSM are the most at-risk for HIV infection. There is already a dearth of evidence-based interventions targeting this community, with much evidence that mobile technology is a great way to connect with this generation and meet them where they are. The research team is hopeful for the intervention’s potential to decrease infections and increase insights on how to reduce HIV infection among diverse, young MSM in the US.