1. Ricardo Mendizábal-Burastero, MPH Colectivo Amigos contra el Sida
Reaching the unreachable: MSM recruitment strategy using social networks to HIV prevention services in Guatemala city
Ricardo Mendizábal-Burastero, MPH
Colectivo Amigos contra el Sida

2. Context Guatemala 16.2 million people 109,000 estimated MSM population
Guatemala Department
21% of country’s population
17 municipalities including Guatemala City (GC)
Most people commute to GC to work
GC is a hookup place among MSM

3. 10 years after... Background
HIV prevalence in Guatemala City in 2003: 11.9%
10 years after...
HIV prevalence in Guatemala City in 2013: 8.9%
1. Soto. Estudio Multicéntrico. 2003
2. MSPAS. ECVC

4. Why we cannot reach more MSM?

5. How we are trying to close the gap
Community HTC
Friendly hour service
Improving access
Face-to-face promotion
Social stars advocates
Social networks
Mpowerment
Volunteer networks
Improving outreach

6. Using technology to reach more MSM By location
GPS based apps
Strategy
Using peer promoter photograph
Mobility
Key messages:
Free condoms
STIs transmission
We change location when a network starts to run out of non-tested MSM

7. Using technology to reach more MSM by social networks
Friends-based apps
Strategy
Use of personal friend networks
Social stars
Volunteer
Key topics
HIV testing
Free condoms
We jump to a new friend network when the one we are using starts to run out of non-tested MSM

8. HIV cases sex ratio per year, Guatemala 2010-2015
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.3
1.4
2.1
Source: National Epidemiology Center

9. Impact of our intervention on diagnosing HIV cases
CAS diagnosed 18% of male HIV cases in the country in 2015
28% of men HIV cases in Guatemala department
In Guatemala are more than 350 HTC services in the country
They report 98% of HIV tests
Source: National Epidemiology Center

10. Lessons learned
To be effective reaching MSM these key components should be considered:
Adapting the services to the users
Individual messages
Avoid using automatic messages
Customize message
Inbox per inbox
Usage of personal networks
A real person is offering the HIV testing
Diversify the virtual interventions
GPS based
Friend based

11. Next steps
HIV risk estimation based on patterns of the social networks used
Expand the strategy to other cities in the country

12. Special thanks to

13. This work has been possible by the great work of young (and not so young) committed to stop HIV
Ricardo Mendizabal-Burastero