Use of online outreach for HIV prevention among men who have sex with men in the European Union/European Economic Area : an ECDC guide to effective use of digital platforms for HIV prevention.
Date: 2018-01-10
Institutions: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
Subjects: AIDS, Central Asia, Europe, Internet, LGBTIQ persons, action programme, digital technology, disease prevention, health policy, sexually transmitted disease, user guide, virtual community

TECHNICAL DOCUMENT  

Use of online outreach for 
HIV prevention among men who have 
sex with men in the European 
Union/European Economic Area

An ECDC guide to effective use of digial platforms for HIV prevention

December 2017

www.ecdc.europa.eu

ECDC TECHNICAL DOCUMENT 

Use of online outreach for HIV prevention 
among men who have sex with men in the 
European Union/European Economic Area 

An ECDC guide to effective use of digital platforms for HIV prevention 

 
 
This report was commissioned by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), coordinated by 
Teymur Noori and produced by Terrence Higgins Trust (UK) and SOA AIDS (Netherlands)  

Authors 

Koenraad Vermey – SOA AIDS 
Arjan Van Bijnen – SOA AIDS 
Takudzwa Mukiwa – Terrence Higgins Trust 
Calum McSwiggan – Terrence Higgins Trust 
Cary James – Terrence Higgins Trust 

Suggested citation: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Use of online outreach for HIV prevention 
among men who have sex with men in the European Union/European Economic Area - An ECDC guide to effective 
use of digital platforms for HIV prevention. Stockholm: ECDC; 2017. 

Stockholm, December 2017 

ISBN 978-92-9498-158-5 

doi 10.2900/606745 

TQ-07-17-088-EN-N 

© European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2017 

Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged.  
For any use or reproduction of photos or other material that is not under the EU copyright, permission must be 
sought directly from the copyright holders. 

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TECHNICAL DOCUMENT 

Use of online outreach for HIV prevention among MSM in the EU/EEA 

7. Online outreach 

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Getting started: how to begin setting up a successful online outreach. 
Creating content: how to create and optimise content for maximum success. 
Targeting: how to select platforms and target key populations effectively. 
Budgeting and resourcing: what costs and other resources are associated with online outreach. 
Reporting: how to evaluate outreach activities by selecting appropriate indicators. 
Summary: a brief checklist to consider before starting online outreach. 

7a. Getting started 

Reaching out to communities in digital spaces is also known as online outreach or online fieldwork.  

The purpose of online outreach is to provide an array of services in digital meeting places where men who have 
sex with men (MSM) commonly spend time. Outreach work in digital communities can be effective in: 

• 
• 
• 

reaching MSM typically considered at risk, invisible or hard to reach; 
identifying previously unidentified communities; 
providing contextually-relevant information to ‘gated’ communities based on their sexual practices, identities 
and HIV status. 

Online outreach may include education, risk-reduction counselling and provider-based referrals to reliable 
information sources and other resources, including testing and treatment locations [1,2,3]. Health messages are 
primarily delivered to individuals (via personal profiles on websites or dating applications) and sometimes to groups 
of people (for instance via chatrooms or bulletin boards websites). For projects with limited resources (budget, 
time and trained staff or volunteers), advertising may be more cost effective than online outreach provided by paid 
staff members. 

Table 1. Differences between online outreach and advertising on dating platforms  

Provider 

Target 

Online outreach 

Advertising 

Staff member 

Automated algorithm 

Individual profiles 

Groups of users 

Interaction 

Personal, tailored, agile, real-time 

Scale and reach 

Required resources 

Small scale, depending on staff 
time 

Staff (paid or voluntary), time, 
training 

Expenses determined by 

Time and costs of staff members 

Mass-media focussed, targeted, 
determined in advance, 
asynchronous 

Large scale, depending on budget 

Promotion budget, visual and/or 
animated materials, mobile-
optimised online content 
Total number of clicks or 
impressions 

Active versus passive outreach 

You can decide between two types of outreaching interactions: an ‘active’ (provider-initiated) or a ‘passive’ (user-
initiated) approach. The best approach depends on your objectives. Both approaches require that you are always 
identifiable as a reliable source of information and support.  

A passive approach involves the use of a profile on a dating platform to attract users to ask their questions. With a 
passive approach it is always the user that initiates the conversation. Common questions that health workers 
receive relate to: 

• 
• 
• 
• 

Facts about HIV and STI transmission 
Nearby testing locations 
Availability of free testing 
Nature and purpose of the health worker’s online presence [4]. 

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Case study: The Netherlands 

‘I created a profile with information about what our health service offers to MSM. Plus a number of 
provocative questions, deliberately without answers. Such as: Is pre-cum risky for HIV or not? These 
questions make it easier to start a conversation. I never approach men. Men are supposed to approach me, 
not vice versa.  

(…) I intentionally invite visitors to ask questions about unsafe sex. Remarkably, I get questions on the chat 
that I get a little less quickly during my office hours. For example, what are the risks of water-sports, or how 
can I best clean my rectum before anal sex? I also receive a lot of questions from an audience that we don’t 
see during our consultation hours enough: bisexual, 'hetero-identified' men.’ 

Source: Toolkit MSM SANL [5] 

Active outreach means that you initiate conversations by sending messages to individual users. You need to 
acknowledge that prevention workers are always guests on the platform. Health worker’s profiles usually have the 
same status and have to abide by the same rules as any other user with a profile.  

Case study: France 

‘We inform guys nearby that we’re currently providing free HIV testing services in their area or that a 
support group is taking place in the following days. We also use them to provide counselling on sexual 
health and inform men of existing services in their area. We have a proactive position, contacting guys and 
not just waiting for them to contact us.’ 

Source: ECDC (2015). ‘Understanding the impact of smartphone applications on STI/HIV prevention among 
men who have sex with men in the EU/EEA’. [6] 

Most platforms do not explicitly invite prevention workers to do online outreach. If your active approach is 
considered too intrusive users or website owners may complain, report and block you from the website. It can be 
difficult to counter this decision.  

Table 2. Active versus passive approach 

Approach 

Description 

Objectives 

Active 

Passive 

Provider takes the initiative to message one user 
within a group of users 

Provides waits until a user takes the initiative to 
send a message 

Increasing awareness and use of services 
Sharing information with target populations 
Partner notification 

Counselling users online 
Tailoring in-depth information for users 
Stimulating communication about sexual health 

Use 

Increasing provision-use 

Responding to needs 

Sending health-related messages to individual profiles 
Posting messages in discussions or chatroom 
sessions with multiple users 
Sending invitations to multiple users on bulletin 
boards, forums or chatrooms to join one-on-one 
conversations 

Answering questions of individual users/profiles 
Answering questions in discussion threads on 
bulletin boards/forums 
Sharing information or dispelling myths in 
publically visible profile texts 

Large output in a short amount of time 
Greater visibility 
Targeting populations with filters 
Incidental or irregular activity is possible 

Clients’ needs central 
Greater acceptability among users 
Less likely to be blocked or reported 
Multi-tasking is possible 
In-depth 

First message needs to be concise and effective 
Less focused on needs of clients 
Can be considered ‘spam’ by users 
Terms of services (conditions of use) may disallow 
the promotion of services 
May compete or interfere with automated 
broadcast messages 
May have lasting effects on provider’s reputation 

Time and labour intensive 
Fast and adequate answers required 
Unpredictable and variable output 
Regular presence is needed 
Demands comprehensive knowledge and skills 
Difficult to reach users with low awareness or 
engagement 
Sensitive to abuse of service and privacy concerns. 

Activities 

Advantages 

Disadvantages 

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Meeting the needs of your target population 

Health promotion should always meet the needs of your target populations. Based on international literature, the 
following objectives match the needs of MSM in relation to HIV, sexual health and online prevention. Depending on 
your country’s context, issues of homophobia, stigma and discrimination may require equal attention in your 
outreach work. ILGA’s Rainbow Europe [7] resources and the European Commission’s Eurobarometer on 
Discrimination [8] provide up-to-date information on discrimination and human rights in your region. 

Potential objectives of online HIV prevention and sexual health promotion 
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Stimulate open communication about sexuality 
Decrease HIV-related stigma and support respectful communication concerning HIV 
Increase awareness and perceptions of risk relating to HIV and STIs  
Increase basic knowledge and dispel myths concerning HIV and STIs (transmission, symptoms) 
Increase knowledge of local or online services for HIV and STI testing and prevention 
Increase knowledge of safe and pleasurable sex 
Recruit MSM for online or offline HIV prevention interventions 
Improve knowledge concerning consistent and correct condom use 
Increase communication concerning protective behaviour, HIV and STI testing 
Increase awareness and knowledge of new biomedical prevention strategies, including pre- and post-
exposure prophylaxis (PEP/PrEP) 
Increase awareness and knowledge of HIV viral load and risk reduction strategies 
Promote harm reduction in relation to sex-related alcohol and drug use 
Promote information-seeking behaviour  
Support meaningful and fulfilling sexual and intimate relationships 
Support partner notification. 

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Guiding principles for online outreach 

Client-centred approach 

A client-centred approach means providing a non-judgemental environment of empathy and openness. Negative 
experiences and long waiting times are the primary reasons for MSM who have experience of online prevention 
work not wishing to use such services again. Confidentiality concerns stop some MSM from accessing online 
prevention. It is necessary to always maintain a client-centred approach that is sensitive to your clients’ needs, 
expectations and interests, including their right to privacy.  

Positive approach to sex and relationships 

Gay culture is often considered as highly sexualised, but when European MSM are asked individually what they 
consider to be the best sex life, most of them formulate this in terms of desire for relationships and intimate 
connections [9]. A positive approach to sex and relationships is necessary in order to offer engaging and holistic 
HIV prevention work. 

Greater involvement and meaningful engagement of people living 
with HIV 

Meaningful engagement and greater involvement of people living with HIV are important principles for any 
prevention activity. This includes involving HIV-positive MSM in activities that aim to prevent new HIV infections as 
well as activities involving STI prevention, including hepatitis C [10]. 

Participatory quality development 

Participatory quality development strives for continuous improvement of health promotion projects. It is 
characterised by the optimal participation of stakeholders (target populations, service providers, funding bodies 
and other important parties). The needs of and insights into the local situation of your ‘front line’ outreach workers 
and target populations are key to the success of the activity. As part of the Quality Action project, a handbook on 
participatory quality development has been developed in five languages [11]. 

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Privacy and confidentiality 

Online outreach work provides a level of anonymity not found in many other types of intervention. However, 
concerns relating to confidentiality and privacy are common among MSM. During the design and implementation of 
online outreach work, two aspects require your attention: security and confidentiality. 

Secure software 
Always discuss software and security issues with your IT department or IT support prior to starting online 
fieldwork. Some sexual networking platforms may confront you with malware or malevolent software hidden inside 
advertising banners. Avoid security issues by:  

• 
• 
• 

Installing recommended updates to your operating system, applications and web browsers;  
installing security software on computers, laptops and mobile devices; 
working on private, password-protected Wi-Fi networks. Third parties can easily scan unprotected or public 
Wi-Fi traffic and steal sensitive data.  

Confidentiality agreements 
Organisations that conduct online outreach should have policies in place that explicitly cover online interaction and 
registration of information that could be used to identify clients. Ensure that:  

• 
• 

all staff members (outreach, IT, support staff and volunteers) have signed confidentiality agreements; 
access to sensitive data remains limited. Avoid registering names, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, IP 
addresses, geo-location data, profile names and other information that can be used to identify individuals.  

Collaboration with dating platforms 

It is advised to always contact the platform you wish to do outreach on in advance to discuss your objectives and 
how they can be best achieved. Endorsement from dating platforms helps to build trust in your online activities. 
Many global platforms do not openly support or facilitate online outreach activities. Instead, they often refer to 
paid advertising as an alternative to online outreach.  

In many countries local platforms exist that are very popular among MSM. If you want to set up online outreach, 
consider collaborating with local dating platforms in your country instead. Your local partners may be more open to 
facilitating your outreach work. 

7b. Targeting 

Targeting specific populations with your intervention means you can better tailor your activity to their needs and 
change your message accordingly. You can target your activity in two ways:  

• 
• 

by choosing specific platforms; 
by using filters within platforms to reach specific groups of users. 

By choosing the right platform and by filtering users, you can improve the effectiveness and reach of your work 
and prevent negative feedback from users for whom your message is less relevant. Moreover, there are apps and 
websites that specialise in specific subcultures or sexual practices. 

In order to choose the best platforms in your region, you should first assess: 

• 

• 

which platforms are most popular in your region. Contact the platform and ask how many users they have 
in your region or conduct a local community assessment to find out which platforms are most popular. 
the possibilities and limitations of the platform. 

Using filters to reach specific groups 

Many platforms provide possibilities for selectively showing users based on physical, demographic or sexual 
characteristics. These filters are especially useful for active outreach work, because they allow you to send tailored 
messages to different subgroups.  

Filters also allow you to reach more users in applications that limit the number of users visible in the grid. Use 
filters to send messages to narrow subsets of users, change the filter to another subset or send messages, thereby 
expanding your reach significantly within a short period of time.  

Filters can work against you, especially when you conduct passive outreach. If a large proportion of your target 
audience filters out specific characteristics that match your profile, you are no longer visible to the group you 
aimed to reach. Therefore always involve your local community to maximise the quality of your outreach work.  

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Improving your visibility 

Some platforms have a functionality that allows users to see which profiles recently visited theirs. This functionality 
can be used to make your passive outreach approach more visible among users. 

7c. Creating content 

In terms of online outreach, MSM voice concerns over the privacy, confidentiality and trustworthiness of online 
services. Since some dating platforms do not officially allow health promotion, it is important not to violate their 
terms and conditions of use.  

The most important content you need to consider in advance:  

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• 
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Information on your website  
Profile description  
Messages (when conducting active outreach).  

Information on your website 

Placing up-to-date and easy-to-find information about your online outreach activities on your official organisation's 
website improves your transparency and credibility. Information is thorough if it includes: 

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Details of the platform on which you operate; 
How users can recognise your profile; 
The purpose of your intervention; 
When and how often you are online; 
A work-related phone number or e-mail address so that users can contact you if they have questions or 
complaints.  

Profile description 

It is crucial for your profile to be as authentic and professional as possible. Your profile description should include 
enough information for users to easily identify your organisation. You may choose to develop a mascot or persona 
to improve your visibility and recognisability, or connect your online presence to a campaign. 

Adding a picture to your profile will attract more attention and personalise your service:  

• 

• 

• 

You may choose to use images of your organisation, project staff, events or campaign pictures, or stock 
images bought via stock image websites. 
Consider using stock photographs instead of a profile picture if all outreach workers are female, or if male 
workers want to remain anonymous. 
Make sure your organisation owns the copyrights of each image you use to avoid legal issues. 

However, too much information about your offers or services could violate the terms and conditions of the 
platform. Always review the terms and conditions of each platform prior to drafting your profile name and 
description. 

Case study: the Netherlands 

‘I created a profile with information about what our health service offers to MSM. My profile contains 
a number of questions, deliberately without answers that invite visitors to ask questions about unsafe 
sex. For instance: Is pre-cum risky for HIV or not?  These open questions make it easier to start a 
conversation. Remarkably, I get questions that I don’t get during my office hours. For example, what 
are the risks of water-sports, or how can I best clean my rectum before anal sex? I also receive a lot 
of questions from bisexual and hetero-identified men, who we don’t see enough during our 
consultation hours’. 

Source: Soa Aids Nederland (2015). Toolkit Internetveldwerk voor MSM. [5] 

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Recommendations for profiles 

Do 

Don’t 

Create a unique and recognisable username 
Use the name of the organisation 
Include basic information and a profile picture 
Include contact information for the 
organisation (work-related-e-mail address 
and/or phone number) 
Include social media connections (work-
related Facebook, Twitter or Instagram) 

Use personal email address 
Link to personal social media accounts 
Use personal phone numbers 
List sexual preferences or sexual statistics 
about the outreach worker  
Explicitly mention services or offers  
Link to paid websites or services. 

Message 

Users may consider personal messages actively sent out by healthcare workers to be intrusive. Make sure your 
message is as inviting and acceptable as possible, be careful with the tone of voice used, and ensure all essential 
information is given up front. Your objectives should be transparent and it should be easy for the user to find more 
information or share their questions and comments.  

Pre-testing and improving your message 

To make sure your message is of the best quality, always pre-test your message with your target population. In 
order to pre-test your message you should:  

• 
• 
• 

invite MSM who already use your services to give feedback on your message; 
develop two or three versions of a message and let users choose their favourite; 
improve your message based on their feedback and share your experience. 

It is often necessary to change your message on a regular basis to grab the attention of your audience. Before 
changing your message, always evaluate your previous message and improve by looking at what you have learned 
from past interventions. 

7d. Budgeting and resourcing 

Calculating staff time 

There are no standard calculations for the time it takes to do online outreach. Passive outreach work generally 
takes more time than active outreach work, but this largely depends on frequency and duration, scale and reach, 
and the worker’s scope for multi-tasking.  

With regard to staff time, make sure that staff members with a medical, IT and communication background are 
available to provide technical support and feedback. If your financial resources are insufficient, consider working 
with volunteers to expand your reach. 

Membership costs 

Memberships and subscriptions are not always necessary for your online outreach. Many platforms offer free 
options. Others limit the number of users they show and the filtering options they provide to non-paying users. 
Due to the relatively low cost of monthly subscriptions, their benefits may outweigh their costs.  

Resources required for online outreach 

Online interventions are a cross between classic prevention work and online education and counselling [12]. They 
require time and perseverance. 

Individual conversations between users and professionals often entail complex questions, requiring more 
than just medical knowledge of HIV and STIs. 
Training is necessary to ensure staff members have adequate knowledge and skills to perform high-quality 
outreach work. 
Beneficial personality traits include empathy, respect, authenticity, directness, commitment, discipline, 
identification and open-mindedness. 

• 

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Case study: Serbia 

‘My advice with app outreach is: be persistent! Try to be individual with everyone and get people into 
a personal conversation in order to reach them. It may take more time, but it will be effective.’ 

Source: ECDC (2015). ‘Understanding the impact of smartphone applications on STI/HIV prevention 
among men who have sex with men in the EU/EEA’. [6] 

Professional knowledge and skills 

Users can disclose many questions and complex issues in a short period of time. In addition to a knowledge base in 
HIV and STI transmission and prevention work, providers should have the following professional skills to do online 
outreach work: 

• 
• 
• 

Written communication 
Knowledge management and self-reflection  
Referral knowledge: when and where to refer users to other support services. 

Case study: Spain 

‘We believe in peer education so we organised three months of training to have some prepared 
volunteers who are available for online counselling about sexual health. We also meet once a month 
to coordinate and support these volunteers. Training and supporting the people who are going to 
provide any service on the app is also important (it’s a lonely activity, with not many chances to 
share experiences). And it requires knowing what health resources are available and where to refer 
individuals.’ 

Source: ECDC (2015). ‘Understanding the impact of smartphone applications on STI/HIV prevention 
among men who have sex with men in the EU/EEA’. [6] 

Written communication 

Text-based communication lacks non-verbal communication, such as body language and intonation. This means 
you should write textual responses consciously and carefully and check if your responses match the user’s needs. 
For practical suggestions on managing conversations during online outreach we refer to the chapters on 
‘Troubleshooting—Tips and tricks’ in ‘The Cruising Counts Guide’ and ‘Prolonging and ending conversations’ in the 
manual ‘We are the Sexperts!’ [3,13]. 

Knowledge management and self-reflection 

To tackle questions effectively you require in-depth knowledge of topics ranging from basic HIV and STI 
transmission; available services; specific sexual practices and risks to broader sexual health-related themes. It is 
important that outreach workers have the ability to listen, reflect and learn.  

Outreach workers themselves can also use online resources to find answers to uncommon questions. This 
information should always be adapted to the individual’s needs and capacities. Additional training may be 
necessary to ensure that prevention workers have sufficient knowledge and skills to provide the right information 
and support.  

Referral knowledge 

When you promote or refer to online resources, please ensure that the contents or services you promote are 
mobile-optimised or at least mobile-friendly. The following online resources should be available for online outreach 
workers: 

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• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

HIV and STI information including viral hepatitis 
Testing and treatment locations 
Safe sex and sexual risk reduction information 
Sexual health information and resources  
Mental health and substance abuse resources and counselling services  
Domestic and sexual violence information and resources  
Information and resources specifically for youth 
Information and resources specifically for transgender people. 

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Case study: the Netherlands 

‘An important part of my chat counselling is motivational interviewing. I find that men often try to 
reduce the risks for themselves and to put words in my mouth. My job is putting our key message to 
the front (‘get tested’) and making sure they keep their personal responsibility in their own hands. I 
do this by asking lots of open questions and sharing my reflections’. 

Source: Soa Aids Nederland (2015) Toolkit Internetveldwerk voor MSM. [5] 

Cultural communication 

Outreach workers need to have sufficient understanding of the appropriate vernacular and cultural values to 
communicate effectively. Online communication between MSM is saturated with euphemisms, abbreviations and 
acronyms. The perceived anonymity of dating platforms allows MSM to interact in more open and sexually direct 
ways and express specific interests and fantasies. Prevention workers need to remain cautious when drawing 
inferences solely based on profile descriptions, such as sexual identity and risky behaviour. The importance of 
sexual fantasy and gratification in online communication between MSM should not be underestimated [14].  

Spending time on digital platforms will help you to learn about the target population and convey messages in your 
own words [15]. 

7e. Reporting 

To demonstrate the results of your work, activities must be recorded continuously and consistently.  

This requires short easy-to-use registration forms that include your most important indicators and allow staff 
members to write open comments and observations. 

The data you need to collect will depend on your objectives. Commercial platforms tend to emphasise impressions 
and numbers of users, whereas prevention workers value behavioural change. Funding bodies have their own 
requirements in terms of evaluation and reporting and stakeholders may disagree on what information is 
necessary. 

Before you start online outreach the following steps will help to evaluate your work:  

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Develop an evaluation plan with key performance indicators; 
Provide practical tools for data collection; 
Design a procedure for clients to share feedback or complaints; 
Ensure consistent and continuous data collection; 
Evaluate and give feedback to staff members; 
Engage stakeholders in your evaluation; 
Share lessons learned. 

The effectiveness of your work will depend on the objectives you have defined.  Performance indicators make it 
easier to measure the progress and results of your work. Indicators can be defined at many levels, including 
process and results. 

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Table 3. Examples of performance indicators 

Examples of performance indicators 

Process/quality 

Results/output 

Results/outcome 

Results/impact 

Duration of conversations 
(measured in time or 
number of messages) 

Proportion of on-topic 
conversations 

Number of messages sent 

Number of MSM ever 
tested for HIV 

HIV incidence rates 
among MSM 

Number of 
questions/messages 
received 

Number of MSM tested 
for STIs in past six 
months 

STI incidence rates among 
MSM 

Service user satisfaction 
rating 

Number of one-on-one 
conversations 

Number of MSM 
vaccinated against 
hepatitis B 

Level of HIV-related 
stigma experienced by 
MSM 

Number of negative 
responses/complaints 
received 

Number of referrals offered 

Proportion of MSM 
always using condoms 

Level of sexual satisfaction 

Proportion of service 
providers trained in online 
outreach 

Proportion of users reached 
compared to total number of 
users 

Proportion of MSM who 
disclose HIV status 

Quality of life 

Proportion of contacts in 
demographic categories 
(age, ethnicity, urban/rural) 

Proportion of HIV-
positive MSM on 
antiretroviral therapy 

Proportion of HIV-positive 
MSM who are 
undetectable 

Proportion of conversations 
resulting in service referrals 

Proportion of service 
providers using protocols or 
frequently-asked 
questionstandards 

Number of community 
members/stakeholders 
participating on project 
advisory board 

Satisfaction of community 
members/stakeholders on 
project advisory board 

Typically, up to five ‘key performance indicators’ are selected which summarise the most important elements of 
your work and are measurable within the scope of your project.  

Helpful tools 

The following tools are helpful for online outreach on websites and necessary if you want to work on dating 
applications. 

Mobile devices 

Some platforms are only accessible from mobile devices and not from computers. When choosing between mobile 
devices, consider using tablets instead of smartphones. Tablets share most of the functionalities of smartphones, 
have bigger screens and can be extended with keyboards, making typing and multi-tasking easier. If your 
organisation cannot provide devices to staff members personally, think about including a budget in your project for 
the purchase of the required mobile devices, additional software and hardware, including earphones and a wireless 
keyboard [16,17].

Access to websites and applications 

Security software such as firewalls may limit or block access to the necessary online resources. Ask the IT specialist 
in your office to make sure that each staff member involved in online outreach has access to specific websites, 
dating applications and wireless networks. 

Changing your GPS location 

Most geosocial networking applications automatically determine your location. Working from the same GPS 
locations restricts your reach, because the number of profiles that appear in the grid is often limited. To reach 
more profiles in the vicinity, you can change your GPS location by installing additional applications that allow you to 
manually select your location [18].  

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7f. Summary 

Before starting your campaign, you need to:  

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

understand the opportunities and limitations of online outreach; 
understand the needs of your target groups; 
select the most appropriate platform(s) and target your outreach to groups; 
create a realistic trustworthy profile for your outreach interventions; 
implement a plan for each intervention and a strategy to avoid risks; 
understand all the associated resources required for online outreach, including funding; 
outline clear goals and key performance indicators and develop practical registration tools to measure your 
results. 

Once you have completed these tasks you are ready to start reaching out online. The success of any activity will 
always depend to a certain degree on trial and error so remember to follow through at every stage and be 
prepared to optimise and make changes as you go.  

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References 

1.  Guidelines for Online Outreach in Ohio. Ohio Department of Health & AIDS Resource Center Ohio: 2012. 
2. 

Reaching Florida’s communities: Guidelines for traditional and internet-based HIV prevention outreach. Florida 
Department of Health - Bureau of HIV/AIDS: 2010.  
The Cruising Counts Guide: A program guide for online sexual health outreach in Ontario. Gay Men’s Sexual 
Health Alliance of Ontario: 2016. 

3. 

4.  Grov C, Breslow AS, Newcomb ME, Rosenberger JG, Bauermeister JA. Gay and bisexual men's use of the 

5. 
6. 

7. 
8. 

9. 

Internet: research from the 1990s through 2013. Journal of Sex Research 2014. 4;390–409. 
Toolkit Internetveldwerk voor MSM. Soa Aids Nederland: 2015. 
ECDC. Understanding the impact of smartphone applications on STI/HIV prevention among men who have 
sex with men in the EU/EEA’. Stockholm: European Center for Disease Prevention and Control; 2015. 
Rainbow Europe. http://www.ilga-europe.org/rainboweurope 
Eurobarometer on Discrimination 2015. 
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/discrimination/files/eurobarometer_lgbti_graphs_factsheet_national.pdf 
Bourne A, Hammond G, Hickson F, Reid D, Schmidt AJ, Weatherburn P & EMIS Network. What constitutes the 
best sex life for gay and bisexual men? Implications for HIV prevention. BMC Public Health. 2013 Nov 
20;13:1083. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-1083. 

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quality-development 

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11 

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