Spurring Innovation to Promote HIV Testing: An RCT Evaluating Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing Versus Conventional HIV Testing Promotion: A Noninferiority Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate Promoting First-Time HIV Testing Among MSM and Transgender Individuals in China

Crowdsourcing may be a powerful tool to spur the development of innovative videos to promote HIV testing among key populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender (TG) individuals. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to compare the effect of a crowdsourced video and a conventional video on first-time HIV testing among MSM and TG in China. The crowdsourced video was developed using an open contest, formal transparent judging, and an incentive of marketing promotion. The hypothesis is that a crowdsourced video will be equivalent (within a margin of 3%) to a conventional video in terms of self-reported first-time HIV testing within 3-4 weeks of watching the video.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Born biologically male or identify as transgender
• 16 years or older
• Lifetime anal sex with another man
• Providing informed consent and active mobile phone number

Exclusion Criteria:

• HIV-infected
• HIV-tested ever in the past