Social Media, Grindr, and PrEP: Sexual health literacy for men who have sex with men in the Internet age

Abstract

Despite continued improvements to HIV/AIDS treatment and awareness, HIV transmission rates remain high among men who have sex with men (MSM). Online consumer health information targeting high-risk MSM through social media and geosocial networking (GSN) apps have shown to be successful HIV intervention strategies. This oral presentation will present the findings of a review article due for publication in the Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet, which addresses (1) the efficacy and acceptance of delivering consumer health information about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and HIV prevention through GSN apps, (2) the impact of online and social media communities in the discussion and delivery of information about PrEP and HIV interventions, and (3) on-going and possible future research and the role of information professionals. The outcomes of this review offer useful guidance for consumer health professionals and addresses fields such as librarianship, knowledge management, and human-computer interaction.

Gavin Goodwin

McGill University, Quebec, Canada

Gavin Goodwin is a Master of Information Studies student at McGill University and currently works as a Student Reference Librarian at Concordia University. His previous degrees include a Master of Music Degree from Bowling Green State University and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Alberta. Gavin’s research activities include study of sexual health information for sexual minorities and the use of diverse creator identities in the cataloguing of musical scores. His research interests also include open access, scholarly communication, and digital scholarship.