ID and Testing Via Friendship Networks
Condition: Asymptomatic HIV; HIV Infections
MeSH terms: Infections; HIV Infections; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      This is a pilot study with a cross-sectional research design to recruit Hispanic/Latina and
      African American adolescent and young adult women, aged 13-24 years to serve as index
      recruiters, who will in turn recruit members of her female friendship network, aged 13 years
      and older to undergo HIV screening. This approach seeks to identify new HIV infections in the
      target population.
    

Detailed description: 
      The proposed pilot study will utilize a cross-sectional research design to recruit
      Hispanic/Latina and African American young women to undergo HIV screening. The research
      design will consist of a friendship-based, female network recruitment approach that
      incorporates a dual method of incentives for index recruiters and network members as a
      strategy for identifying new HIV infections in the target population. Among sexually
      experienced young women (many of whom who reside in communities with a high prevalence of
      STIs and HIV), 50 who self-identify as HIV positive, 50 who self-identify as HIV negative
      (based on receiving a negative HIV test within 12 months prior to study consent), and 50
      whose HIV status is self-reported as unknown (who have no history of prior HIV testing or who
      had HIV screening more than 12 months prior to date of study consent) will be recruited.
      These women will serve as index recruiters to recruit two or more (on average four) female
      friendship network members to undergo HIV screening. The index recruiters will be recruited
      through three participating ATN sites utilizing the existing infrastructure within the AMTUs
      and their community and clinical partnerships. Index participants that agree to take part in
      this research will be asked to self-disclose their HIV status, to complete a risk assessment
      and indicate their willingness to recruit their close female friends to undergo HIV
      screening. In addition, index recruiters who self-identify as HIV negative and those who do
      not know their HIV status will be invited to undergo HIV screening.

      Index recruiters will be given up to four months to recruit members of their friendship
      network. At the end of this recruitment period or after successful recruitment of two or more
      friendship network members, whichever comes first, all index recruiters will be asked to
      complete a brief questionnaire that describes factors that both facilitated and hindered
      their ability to recruit the friendship network members. Sexually experienced friendship
      network members who agree to participate in the study will also complete a risk assessment
      regardless of whether or not they agree to undergo HIV screening. Participation in this study
      will be strictly on a voluntary basis.
    

Intervention name(s): Index Recruiter; Friendship Network Member
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): Participants agree to recruit at least two female friends from their friendship network to undergo HIV screening.; Participants are recruited by Index Recruiters to enroll in study and receive HIV screening and complete a questionnaire either on Facilitators of HIV Screening or Barriers to HIV Screening.
Observational model: Case-Control
Time perspective: Cross-Sectional
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Index recruiters will consist of sexually experienced females between the ages of 13 and 24
        years old and of African American race, Hispanic/Latina ethnicity, or mixed-race/ethnicity,
        which must include African American race and/or Hispanic/Latina ethnicity.

        Friendship network members will also consist of sexually experienced females, aged 13 years
        and older. Although most members are expected to be of African American race and/or
        Hispanic/Latina ethnicity, all races and ethnicities will be included.
      
Keywords: Social network; Asymptomatic HIV