Study of Mobile Interventions to Reduce HIV Stigma and Increase PrEP Use Among Transgender Women in Thailand

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a mobile health mHealth intervention designed to reduce HIV-related and overlapping stigma while improving the use and adherence to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis PrEP among HIV-negative young transgender women aged 18 to 29 in Thailand. This study uses a Multiphase Optimization Strategy to adapt and test two mobile-based programs, Mobile Healthy Choices mHC and Finding Respect and Ending Stigma around HIV FRESH, aiming to empower participants and support better HIV prevention behaviors. Participants are randomly assigned to one of four groups standard HIV prevention services including counseling and testing standard counseling plus the mHC intervention consisting of four motivational interviewing sessions delivered via smartphone over three months standard counseling plus the FRESH intervention, a six-session multimedia program also delivered via smartphone over three months or a combination of both mHC and FRESH interventions with standard counseling. These mobile programs focus on reducing stigma and encouraging PrEP use and adherence. During the six-month follow-up, participants undergo assessments at baseline, three months, and six months to measure HIV-related stigma, PrEP uptake and adherence, and HIV testing uptake. The study involves questionnaires, interviews, and monitoring of PrEP use to evaluate the interventions impact. This research is sponsored by the Institute of HIV Research and Innovation Foundation in Thailand and aims to improve HIV prevention strategies for transgender women.

Evaluation of mHealth Intervention to Promote HIV Prevention and Overcome Stigma Among Transgender Women (EMPOW.HER)