Case Study: PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR COLLABORATIVE INTERVENTIONS

Implementing Comprehensive HIV and STI Programmes with  Men Who Have Sex with Men

PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR COLLABORATIVE INTERVENTIONS

Recommended citation:
United Nations Population Fund, Global Forum on MSM & HIV, United Nations Development Programme, World Health
Organization, United States Agency for International Development, World Bank. Implementing comprehensive HIV and STI
programmes with men who have sex with men: practical guidance for collaborative interventions. New York (NY): United
Nations Population Fund; 2015.

Case example: Integrated communications  strategy for HIV services in Thailand Developed  for  the  Adam’s  Love  organization  in  Bangkok,  this  campaign  centred  on  linking  online  and offline activities and messages to HIV services
for  gay  men,  men  who  have  sex  with  men,  and 
trans persons (GMT). This strategy resulted in 1,181
GMT recruited online and enrolled in Adam’s Love’s
quarterly HIV testing programme.
Source:
Anand et al; 2015. See Section 5.7, Further reading. Image: Tarandeep Anand

Using Information and Communication Technology
5.2.3 Designing a behavioural intervention for ICT
After  considering  the  best  ICT  approach  for  the  programme  in  question,  and  mapping  the  ICT 
landscape for the community you are trying to reach, the specific programme can be designed in
detail.  The  content  and  approach  of  each  intervention  will  vary  depending  on  the  purpose  of  the 
intervention and the platform used to deliver it, e.g. a website, Facebook page or other social media
app. The following are general components of the process that are applicable to many ICT platforms
and interventions:

1.   Begin by referring to established theories of behaviour change
 as a basis for the intervention.
2.   Consider  how  different  ICT  components  can  contribute  collectively  to  the  overall  goal  of  the 
intervention (see Box 5.1).
3. Tailor the message to the channel:
 Each platform (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp) has its
own unique way of displaying and conveying information, and its users will consume the content
in  different  ways.  Choose  the  theme,  then  the  channel(s)  and  design  the  presentation  of  the 
message from there.
4. Take a creative approach:
Having adopted a theory of behaviour change, be prepared to “think
outside the box” as you apply it to ICT. You must entice people to click on your website or open
your message.
5. Know your story, know your voice.
Determine the voice for the intervention and be consistent.
Every post should be composed with engagement in mind. Read aloud the content before posting.
Does it sound conversational? Is the content written in a way that men who have sex with men
will respond to? Does it address their needs and concerns?
6. Be provocative:
Many ICT platforms, especially messaging and dating/hook-up apps, are informal.
Most users are not shocked by content that uses colloquial language or is sexually explicit; this
may be precisely what gets your message noticed. However, programme implementers should
be mindful of any local laws regulating explicit and/or obscene content.
7. Be authentic and realistic:
Shortcuts such as copying and pasting text from other sources and
other automated ways of creating content may look and sound fake. Always consider whether
material or approaches taken from another source should be adapted to the local context. Avoid
lectures, and use language that acknowledges and supports the desire of men to have sex with
other men.
8. Keep the user’s needs in mind:
 User-driven content (i.e. content that as much as possible reflects
the user’s perspective, experiences and means of expressing himself) is likely to have the greatest
appeal, encouraging the audience to communicate in their own language, slang and voice.
9. Use pre-testing and iterative development:
Use the same audience to test each iteration of
your content, to ensure that responses are comparable when using static platforms like SMS.
Do not test the programme on staff or the principal beneficiaries of your organization (i.e. those
who are already well connected with the services you are trying to promote). Never assume you
know in advance what the results will be. Active platforms, like social media, can use iterative
development, changing the content and messages depending on audience reaction.
10. Continuously  track  and  monitor  results
  and  adjust  the  ICT  intervention  based  on  new 
information