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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02527135

Text Messaging to Improve HIV Testing Among Young Women in Kenya

The purpose of this study is to determine whether regularly scheduled HIV sensitization text messages (SMS) are effective in increasing HIV testing rates among young women in Kenya.

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Key information

Conditions

HIV Infection Blood-Borne Infections Communicable Diseases Genital Diseases HIV Infections Immune System Diseases Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes Infections Lentivirus Infections RNA Virus Infections Retroviridae Infections Sexually Transmitted Diseases Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral Urogenital Diseases Virus Diseases

Age range

18 year–24 year

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Partners in Health and Research Development (PHRD)

Nairobi, Nairobi County, 00202, Kenya

About this study

In Kenya, women have higher rates of infection (6.9%) than men (4.4%) and young women aged 15-24 years are over three times more likely to be infected than young men of the same age group. HIV testing and counseling remains critical to identifying new infections and preventing the spread of HIV but many young women do not test and still continue to engage in high risk behavior.

HIV programs have begun to leverage mobile phones and text messages to increase the reach and scale of interventions. Kenya currently has 32.2 million mobile phone subscribers, representing a 79.2% country penetration. Text messages have been used successfully in Kenya for marketing purposes and have even been demonstrated to increase antiretroviral (ART) adherence. Despite advances in mobile-based applications to improve issues in health, none of these health applications have yet been able to reach the scale of mobile phone-based financial products in Kenya.

Given the potential synergies of text message use and need for HIV testing, a randomized quasi-experimental study was conducted to test whether weekly text messages encouraging HIV testing and improving HIV awareness would increase HIV testing, enhance HIV risk perception and reduce high risk behaviour among young women 18-24 years old in a predominantly rural region in Kenya.

Women in the intervention arm received access to a suite of HIV sensitization text messages sent weekly to increase their awareness of HIV and encourage them to test with the option of texting back for more information to a maximum of three times per week. Women in the control arm did not receive these messages. All women were followed up for six months with monthly SMS surveys collecting data on their HIV testing practices, sexual behaviour and risk perception.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Own a mobile phone which they don't share and which operates on a telecom provider supported by our SMS platform
  • Be HIV uninfected (by self report) or not know their HIV status
  • Report not having tested for HIV in the preceding 12 months
  • Know how to send and receive SMS
  • Must consent to the study
  • Have regular access to electricity for charging a cell phone

Exclusion criteria

  • Did not consent to the study
  • Did not meet inclusion criteria

Treatment and study plan

Weekly HIV sensitization text messages

Behavioral

Weekly HIV sensitization text messages with option to text back up to 3 times per week for additional messages. Message topics included pregnancy, condoms, sexually transmitted infections, contraceptives, anal sex and personal risk of HIV. All messages ended with the phrase "Get tested for HIV".

Primary outcomes

  1. First HIV test

    Time frame: End of study (6 months after enrollment)

    Time to first reported HIV test will be compared between the two study arms

Secondary outcomes

  1. Reported sexual behaviour patterns

    Time frame: End of study (6 months after enrollment)

    Sexual behaviour data (number of new sexual partners, concurrent sexual partnerships and number of sex acts where condoms are used) was collected via a text message survey monthly during study follow up and responses will be compared between the two study arms

  2. Self perception of risk

    Time frame: End of study (6 months after enrollment)

    Self perception of HIV risk in both arms will be compared against HIV testing habits and sexual partnerships

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Washington

Other

Collaborators

  • Fogarty International Center of the National Institute of Health
  • Grand Challenges Canada
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Registry information

Official study title

Evaluating Feasibility and Potential Impact of Text Messages on HIV Awareness Among Young Women in Rural Kenya: a Pilot Study

Acronym: T2T

Important dates

Study start
2013
Primary completion
2014
Study completion
2014
First posted
Aug 18, 2015
Registry last updated
Aug 18, 2015

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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