Social media secret Facebook groups for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis awareness among female sex workers in Cameroon
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN12278412 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN12278412 |
| ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT) | Nil known |
| Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) | Nil known |
| Protocol serial number | Nil known |
| Sponsors | University of Alabama at Birmingham, Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services |
| Funder | Center for AIDS Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham |
- Submission date
- 01/04/2023
- Registration date
- 24/04/2023
- Last edited
- 17/04/2023
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Infections and Infestations
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Female sex workers in Cameroon are at high risk of HIV infection and have low pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake and retention. This research leverages the increased use of social media among female sex workers in Cameroon to explore novel tools that could support ongoing HIV prevention efforts. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an intervention promoting health care literacy around HIV, PrEP, and stigma reduction using private social media groups that complemented existing HIV prevention services among female sex workers in Cameroon.
Who can participate?
Participants that self-identified as female sex workers, were members of the New Life Club, 18 years old or older, HIV negative, fluent in Pidgin English and owners of an Android phone with internet access. The study enrolled a total of 60 participants (40 in the intervention group and 20 in the control group) and was completed in March 2021.
What does the study involve?
The intervention was 12 HIV and sexual health videos developed by the study team and tailored to female sex workers, which were released over 8 weeks through a secret Facebook group platform. Outcomes were measured using in-person surveys that were administered before, after the intervention, and three months later.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The study intervention complemented existing HIV services by providing new information on PrEP, post-exposure prophylaxis, and sex work-related stigma through a safe space for online interaction with other female sex workers. Successful measures were taken to prevent the release of participants´ personal information.
Where is the study run from?
University of Alabama at Birmingham (USA)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
October 2018 to May 2021
Who is funding the study?
Center for AIDS Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham (USA)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Laia J Vazquez Guillamet
laiavgll@gmail.com
Contact information
Scientific
Calle del Rossellón 132, 7th fl
Barcelona
08036
Spain
 ORCID ID |
0000-0002-2649-3910 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +34 93 227 1806 |
| laia.vazquez@isglobal.org |
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Single-center group randomized cross over pilot study |
| Secondary study design | Randomised cross over trial |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Randomized pilot study with cross-over model to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and potential of an intervention using secret Facebook groups to complement existing HIV prevention strategies among female sex workers in Cameroon |
| Study objectives | The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a widely available social media group with privacy features promoting health care literacy among female sex workers in Cameroon, and its potential impact on reported interest in PrEP, confidence in PrEP knowledge, condom use, social cohesion, and stigma related to sex work, HIV and PrEP. |
| Ethics approval(s) | 1. Approved 06/09/2019, Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Board (CBCHB) Institutional Review Board (IRB) (Baptist Centre, Nkwen, PO Box 1 Bamenda, Northwest Region; Tel: not available; cbchbirb@gmail.com), ref: IRB2019-16 2. Approved 05/07/2021, Institutional Review Board of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (Office of the Institutional Review Board for Human Use, 470 Administration Building, 701 20th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35294-0104, USA; +1 (0)205 934 3789; irb@uab.edu), ref: IRB-300004333 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Prevention of HIV infection among female sex workers in the anglophone region of Cameroon |
| Intervention | The intervention was 12 HIV and sexual health videos tailored to female sex workers and recorded in Pidgin English that were released over 8 weeks through a secret Facebook group platform. The first video introduced the project and explained the behavioral norms of the secret Facebook group. The other videos specifically talked about HIV, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), condom use, sex work information from around the globe, and sex work-related stigma. The content was developed by the study team and recorded by the New Life Club coordinators in Pidgin English. In-person surveys were administered before, after the intervention, and three months later. The study survey was designed by the study team after a careful review of the existing literature, adapting validated and non-validated questionnaires used in prior studies (Hanoeman, 2017; Hargreaves, 2013; Lippman, 2010; Vazquez, 2019). The survey was piloted on a small number of NLC members; it lasted on average 10 minutes and was administered in-person by the study coordinators in a private environment. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
1. Project feasibility: measured as project retention (number of surveys completed at 3 and 6 months) |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
Surveys were administered before, after the intervention, and 3 months later: |
| Completion date | 25/05/2021 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Healthy volunteer |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Sex | Female |
| Target sample size at registration | 80 |
| Total final enrolment | 60 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Self-identified as female sex worker, 2. Member of the organization New Life Club 3. 18 years old and older 4. HIV negative (documented within 3 months prior to enrollment) 5. Fluency in Pidgin English (the local primary language used widely) The New Life Club (NLC) program is an initiative from the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Board, hosted the study intervention. The NLC is a faith-based non-governmental organization with the purpose of assisting female sex workers in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon by promoting health resources and services. |
| Key exclusion criteria | 1. Not owner of an android phone with internet access 2. Insufficient literacy level to interact in the group-chat |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/10/2020 |
| Date of final enrolment | 23/10/2020 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Cameroon
Study participating centre
Buea Road Mutengene
Mutengene
-
Cameroon
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Stored in publicly available repository |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during this study are stored in a publicly available repository: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.20220102.v2 |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract results | 04/12/2021 | 03/04/2023 | No | No | |
| Dataset | 03/07/2022 | 17/04/2023 | No | No | |
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
Editorial Notes
17/04/2023: Trial's existence confirmed by the University of Birmingham in Alabama (UAB).
