Abstracts Category : Other

Investigating the effectiveness of online social media in influencing HIV risk perceptions of young women in South Africa related to age-disparate relationships

by Elizabeth Jean Armstrong

The study investigates the influence of online and social media in HIVprevention, with a focus on young women and HIV risk perception related toage-disparate relationships. The study was conducted using an existing onlineprevention HIV prevention platform by means of a self-administered onlinequestionnaire. Convenience sampling was used to recruit between 250 and 500users between the ages of 18 to 24 years. The results revealed poor HIV riskperception in 46% of respondents, which seemed influenced by their perception(38%) that older men are safer sexual partners than younger men. In addition,this poor risk perception is seemingly influenced by the fact that many youngwomen (77%) involved in these relationships, viewed these as primarily basedon love and affection and as being safe, challenging the commonly heldperception that these are primarily transactional in nature. Further respondentsreported at rates of between 38% and 44% that the platform had improved theirHIV risk perception related to these relationships. In summary, the researchresulted in several recommendations to improve the platform, includingimproving ways of getting more and on-going feedback from users on their HIVrisk perceptions and designing content and engagement strategies to addressthese.Advisors/Committee Members: Roets, Leon (advisor).