BackgroundSocial media, including mobile technologies and social networking sites, are being used increasingly as part of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention and treatment efforts. As an important avenue for communication about HIV, social media use may continue to increase and become more widespread.ObjectiveThe objective of this paper is to present a comprehensive systematic review of the current published literature on the design, users, benefits, and limitations of using social media to communicate about HIV prevention and treatment.MethodsThis review paper used a systematic approach to survey all literature published before February 2014 using 7 electronic databases and a manual search. The inclusion criteria were (1) primary focus on communication/interaction about HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), (2) discusses the use of social media to facilitate communication, (3) communication on the social media platform is between individuals or a group of individuals rather than the use of preset, automated responses from a platform, (4) published before February 19, 2014, and (5) all study designs.ResultsThe search identified 35 original research studies. Thirty studies had low or unclear risk of at least one of the bias items in the methodological quality assessment. Among the 8 social media platform types described, short message service text messaging was most commonly used. Platforms served multiple purposes including disseminating health information, conducting health promotion, sharing experiences, providing social support, and promoting medication adherence. Social media users were diverse in geographic location and race/ethnicity; studies commonly reported users aged 18-40 years and users with lower income. Although most studies did not specify whether use was anonymous, studies reported the importance of anonymity in social media use to communicate about HIV largely due to the stigma associated with HIV. The ability to share and receive information about HIV was the most commonly reported benefit of social media use and the most common challenges were related to technology. Measures of frequency of use, satisfaction, and effects of use varied across studies.ConclusionsUsing social media to bridge communication among a diverse range of users, in various geographic and social contexts, may be leveraged through pre-existing platforms and with attention to the roles of anonymity and confidentiality in communication about HIV prevention and treatment. More robust research is needed to determine the effects of social media use on various health and social outcomes related to HIV.

Findings highlight the need for positive messaging targeting potential PrEP users and their social networks to increase PrEP acceptance and uptake.

Adolescents are at increased risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the Southern states of the USA, where rates among youth are higher than in the rest of the nation. This paper reports on findings from a pilot study of an HIV prevention intervention that uses interactive theatre to educate young people about sexual health. The intervention was developed in Los Angeles and adapted for testing in the South of the USA, with its legacy of abstinence-based approaches to sexual health education. This study assessed intervention effects among a sample of young people in two public high schools in North Carolina. We used a pre-test, post-test quasi-experimental evaluation design to assess changes in 317 ninth grade participants’ knowledge and attitudes about HIV. At post-test, we found statistically significant increases in participants’ HIV knowledge (t= 60.14; p=.001), as well as changes in attitudes (X2=8.23; p=.042) and awareness (X2=4.94; p=.026). Focus group data corroborated increase in HIV knowledge and reduction in HIV stigma as successful outcomes of intervention participation. The findings make an important contribution to the literature on theatre-based interventions for sexual health education. Furthermore, they highlight the importance of considering socio-cultural and political context in implementing HIV prevention interventions in schools.

Section 1 Diagnoses of HIV Infection and Diagnoses of Infection Classified as Stage 3 (AIDS) 1a Diagnoses of HIV infection, by year of diagnosis and selected characteristics, 2012-2017-United States 1b Diagnoses of HIV infection, by year of diagnosis and selected characteristics, 2012-2017-United States and 6 dependent areas 2a Stage 3 (AIDS), by year of diagnosis and selected characteristics, 2012-2017 and cumulative-United States 2b Stage 3 (AIDS), by year of diagnosis and selected characteristics, 2012-2017 and cumulative-United States and 6 dependent areas 3a Diagnoses of HIV infection, by race/ethnicity and selected characteristics, 2017-United States 3b Diagnoses of HIV infection, by race/ethnicity and selected characteristics, 2017-United States and 6 dependent areas 4a Stage 3 (AIDS), by race/ethnicity and selected characteristics, 2017-United States 4b Stage 3 (AIDS), by race/ethnicity and selected characteristics, 2017-United States and 6 dependent areas 5a Diagnoses of HIV infection among adults and adolescents, by year of diagnosis, sex, and selected characteristics, 2012-2017-United States 5b Diagnoses of HIV infection among adults and adolescents, by year of diagnosis, sex, and selected characteristics, 2012-2017-United States and 6 dependent areas 6a Stage 3 (AIDS) among adults and adolescents, by year of diagnosis, sex, and selected characteristics, 2012-2017-United States 6b Stage 3 (AIDS) among adults and adolescents, by year of diagnosis, sex, and selected characteristics, 2012-2017-United States and 6 dependent areas 7a Diagnoses of HIV infection attributed to male-to-male sexual contact and male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use, by selected characteristics, 2012-2017-United States 7b Diagnoses of HIV infection attributed to male-to-male sexual contact and male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use, by selected characteristics, 2012-2017-United States and 6 dependent areas 8a Diagnoses of HIV infection attributed to injection drug use, by selected characteristics, 2012-2017-United States 8b Diagnoses of HIV infection attributed to injection drug use, by selected characteristics, 2012-2017-United States and 6 dependent areas 9a Diagnoses of HIV infection attributed to heterosexual contact, by selected characteristics, 2012-2017-United States 9b Diagnoses of HIV infection attributed to heterosexual contact, by selected characteristics, 2012-2017-United States and 6 dependent areas 10a Stage 3 (AIDS) attributed to male-to-male sexual contact and male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use, by selected characteristics, 2012-2017-United States 10b Stage 3 (AIDS) attributed to male-to-male sexual contact and male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use, by selected characteristics, 2012-2017-United States and 6 dependent areas  HIV Surveillance Report 4 Vol. 29 15 Stage 3 (AIDS) among children aged <13 years, by year of diagnosis, 1992-2017-United States and 6 dependent areas 16 Diagnoses of HIV infection among adult and adolescent Hispanics/Latinos, by transmissio...