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Digital Strategies Supporting Social Network Approaches to HIV Testing: A Scoping Review

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

This review captured how digital strategies support social network approaches to promote HIV testing.

Recent Finding

Overall, 29 studies were identified by searching PubMed and Embase for studies published up to June 2023. Existing studies revealed three types of digital strategies (social media (n = 28), online information channels (n = 4), and multifunctional digital platforms (n = 4)) split into four major modes of digital strategy-supported social-network-based HIV testing promotion: 1) Online outreach and recruiting, 2) gathering and identifying key populations for HIV testing, 3) communicating and disseminating online HIV testing health interventions, and 4) assisting and facilitating HIV testing uptake and distribution.

Summary

Social network approaches supported by digital strategies yielded advantages in HIV testing education and distribution, which increases HIV testing coverage among key populations. Studies are needed on how to facilitate the use of digital strategies for social network-based HIV testing, as well as how to integrate them with existing HIV testing approaches.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Acknowledgements

WT, ZY, and WC conceived the ideas. ZY and YD wrote the first draft of the manuscript. ZY, YD, and WT revised and finalized the manuscript. All authors contributed to the manuscript and approved the final version for submission. This work was supported by the Key Technologies Research and Development Program (2022YFC2304900-4 to WT), National Institute of Health (R34MH119963, R01AI158826, UH3HD096929, and U54CA284110 ), National Nature Science Foundation of China (81903371 to WT), and CRDF Global (G-202104-67775 to WT). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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Author notes

  1. Zhuoheng Yin and Yumeng Du contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China

    Zhuoheng Yin, Yumeng Du, Weibin Cheng & Weiming Tang

  2. University of North Carolina Project China, Guangzhou, China

    Zhuoheng Yin & Weiming Tang

  3. Faculty of Health Sciences, City University of Macau, Macao, SAR, China

    Weibin Cheng

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WT, ZY, and WC conceived the ideas. ZY and YD wrote the first draft of the manuscript. ZY, YD, and WT revised and finalized the manuscript. All authors contributed to the manuscript and approved the final version for submission.

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Correspondence to Weiming Tang.

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Yin, Z., Du, Y., Cheng, W. et al. Digital Strategies Supporting Social Network Approaches to HIV Testing: A Scoping Review. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11904-024-00699-9

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