HealthMpowerment Korea: Pilot Testing the Cultural Adaptation of a Digital HIV Intervention for Men Who Have Sex With Men in South Korea

Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexMale
Age18-35
SponsorSeul Ki Choi

About this trial

This study tests a mobile application (app) designed to support sexual health and prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among young men in South Korea. Researchers are interested to learn if the app is acceptable, easy to use, and helpful for young men who have sex with men (MSM).

Participants will complete a 15-minute online survey at the start of the study and another 15-minute survey 3 months later. Participants will be randomly assigned to 1 of 2 study groups for 3 months:

1. Intervention Group: Participants receive access to the full mobile app, called Bandi. The app includes health articles, quizzes, community discussion forums, a personal sexual health log, and a clinic finder. 2. Control Group: Participants receive access to a basic version of the app that includes informational articles and the clinic finder only.

Researchers will compare both groups over 3 months to see if using the full app leads to higher rates of HIV testing and lower sexual risk behaviors.

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Male sex assigned at birth and current male gender identity

Aged 18 to 35 years

Current residence in the Seoul Metropolitan area

Korean nationality

Disqualifiers

Assigned female at birth or do not currently identify as male

Younger than 18 or older than 35 years of age

Non-residence in the Seoul Metropolitan area

Do not hold Korean nationality

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Bandi Mobile Application (Full Access)

    Behavioral

    A culturally adapted digital HIV prevention mobile application designed for young men who have sex with men (MSM) in South Korea. Participants receive 3-month access to five core integrated features: interactive health articles and quizzes (covering PrEP, adherence, and sexual health); moderated peer community discussion forums and polls; Love Log (a sexual health tracking and planning tool); Care Locator (a directory of local HIV/STI testing centers); and gamification elements (customizable avatars and badges).

  • Information-Only Mobile Application (Limited Access)

    Behavioral

    A limited version of the mobile application provided to the control group over a 3-month period. Access is restricted to static online educational articles/resources and the Care Locator feature for finding local HIV/STI testing centers.

Treatment groups

50 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups
Group A: Bandi App (Full Access)Experimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Information-Only App (Limited Access)Active comparator 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Proportion of Participants Who Reported Receiving an HIV Test

Self-reported status of receiving an HIV test (Yes/No) as assessed via a web-based survey.

Time frame
3 months post-randomization
2

Change in Frequency of Condomless Anal Intercourse (CAI)

Self-reported number of condomless anal intercourse episodes with male partners in the prior 3 months, assessed via web-based survey.

Time frame
Baseline and 3 months post-randomization

Secondary outcomes

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Seul Ki Choi

Lead sponsor

University of Pennsylvania

Sponsor institution

Ewha Womans University

Collaborator

This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options: