Open AccessProject Moxie: Results of a Feasibility Study of a Telehealth Intervention to Increase HIV Testing Among Binary and Nonbinary Transgender Youth
Author(s) -
Rob Stephenson,
Kieran Todd,
Erin Kahle,
Stephen Sullivan,
Michael Miller-Perusse,
Akshay Sharma,
Keith J. Horvath
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
aids and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.994
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1573-3254
pISSN - 1090-7165
DOI - 10.1007/s10461-019-02741-z
Subject(s) - transgender , psychological intervention , health psychology , transphobia , intervention (counseling) , telehealth , psychology , outreach , clinical psychology , medicine , family medicine , public health , medical education , nursing , telemedicine , health care , law , economics , economic growth , political science , psychoanalysis
Transgender youth have low rates of engagement in HIV prevention, shaped in part by experiences of transphobia and lack of access to culturally competent care. Project Moxie tested the feasibility of an intervention that provides home-based HIV self-testing coupled with video-chat counseling. A diverse sample of 202 binary and nonbinary transgender youth (TY) were recruited online, and randomized 2:1 to receive the intervention or a control condition of only home-based HIV self-testing. TY were willing to order HIV self-testing kits and report their results. Half of those in the intervention arm opted to use the video-chat counseling and, among those who did, levels of satisfaction were high. Project Moxie demonstrates the ability to recruit TY online and provide them with access to home HIV testing. Further work is required to develop online interventions for youth who do not wish to receive counseling through video-chat formats.