A self-administered PrEP Decisional Aid for dissemination with HIV self-test kits (DASH)

Project Summary
Our mixed-methods implementation hybrid (type I) pilot RCT will develop a self-administered PrEP Decisional Aid for
dissemination with Self-administered HIV test kits (DASH), and pilot it with 120 users of the Together Take Me Home
(TTMH) National free HIVST kit distribution program to characterize the potential impact of the DASH on increasing PrEP
awareness, accurate PrEP knowledge, and PrEP starts, with 30 qualitative in-depth interviews to expand understanding,
and characterization of meta-data for users of the DASH to advise refinements in the decision aid tool. Our team, in
collaboration with our expert advisory committee and community review panel of TTMH HIV self-test users, will work
with Radiant Technologies to develop the decisional aid with up-to-date content on PrEP choices, values clarification
exercises to promote decisional clarity in considering PrEP, and active links to local and remote (online) PrEP prescribing
resources. Among individuals requesting a HIVST through TTMH (ages 17-30 per TTMH protocol), we will recruit HIVST
requesters and randomly assign individuals to the DASH or standard condition (1:1), collecting baseline, 1- and 3-month
survey data. DASH participants receive a unique, time-sensitive link to the mobile friendly decision aid website, and
reminders to use the link prior to expiration (2 weeks from baseline). Standard condition arm participants receive the
standard HIVST kit and information about PrEP on the TTMH HIVST request website. All participants with negative HIV-
test results continue in the study for month 1 and 3 surveys. PrEP starts at 3-months will be characterized between
arms. Changes in accurate PrEP information and intentions to use PrEP from baseline to 1- and 3-month follow-up will
be compared between study arms using longitudinal growth modeling; feasibility/acceptability of the program (DASH or
standard KIT contents) will be assessed using mixed methods with survey data and 30 qualitative interviews with
participants in each arm (20 in DASH and 10 in standard condition), and meta-data from DASH (use, time in components,
links to resources) will be characterized. The goal of our work is to develop a feasible and acceptable PrEP resource to
accompany national dissemination of HIVST kits. The objective of the study is to produce the DASH and estimates
needed to conduct a powered, large-scale efficacy RCT.

Grant Number: 5R34MH135799-02
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Kathy Rivet Amico