Developing mHealth to Promote PrEP Use Among Thai Young Vulnerable Adolescents and Emerging Adults

NCT ID: NCT05262426

Last Updated: 2025-09-08

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

145 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-12-27

Study Completion Date

2026-07-31

Brief Summary

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The main aim of this study is to develop technology-based interventions to improve HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake and adherence among Thai young transgender women.

Detailed Description

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Motivational Enhancement System for Adherence (MESA) is a computer-based motivation invention, based on the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model and Motivational Interviewing (MI) principles, used to promote adherence among HIV-positive youth initiating antiretroviral treatment. In this study, the team will adapt and develop MESA to focus on PrEP uptake and adherence, which will be called Motivational Enhancement System for PrEP Uptake and Adherence (MES-PrEP). YaCool is a mobile application developed to support transgender women self-management of gender and sexual health, including PrEP use.

In Aim 1, the investigators will begin with needs assessment to evaluate intervention efficacy by exploring the barriers and facilitators of PrEP uptake and adherence through in-depth interviews with transgender women and community health workers. The two interventions will be developed and refined based upon the inputs from transgender women through focus group discussion and community advisory board.

In Aim 2, the investigators will conduct a Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) design-based trial to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of MES-PrEP and Enhanced YaCool and to determine whether MES-PrEP works better when combined with Enhanced YaCool to improve PrEP use. Eligible transgender women will be randomized to one of the four experimental conditions, and followed for 12 months with assessments at baseline, month 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12.

Conditions

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Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

FACTORIAL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Standard PrEP Counseling, MES-PrEP and Enhanced YaCool

Participants in this arm will receive standard PrEP counseling, followed by two mHealth interventions (MES-PrEP and Enhanced YaCool) to improve PrEP uptake and support PrEP adherence.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Motivational Enhancement System for PrEP Uptake and Adherence (MES-PrEP)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

MES-PrEP is a two-session computer-delivered intervention based on IMB model. The intervention is tailored based on the person's ratings of perceived importance and confidence of initiating PrEP and sustaining adherence to PrEP. Participants are routed to different intervention content based on their assessment of their importance and confidence. Youth are provided with feedback on scores on the knowledge assessment followed by information about protective effect that can result from improved PrEP adherence. Finally, participants are asked to set a goal: obtain PrEP prescription, optimal adherence, practice steps, or thinking about it more, and they form plans for overcoming barriers. In the second session, branches are based on whether the youth felt they met the goal, partially met the goal, or did not meet the goal. Sessions of MES-PrEP will occur at baseline and month 1.

Enhanced YaCool

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Enhanced YaCool is mobile application developed to support transgender women self-management of their gender and sexual health, including PrEP use. YaCool is a passcode-protected app that allows users to personalized text messaged reminders to take PrEP and/or clinic appointments, record PrEP adherence and sexual activity, and track lab tests. The application is set up to provide personalized recommendations for PrEP regimen, confirmed by clinic healthcare staff. Participants will be asked to download Enhanced YaCool to support PrEP use and gender/sexual health self-management between MES-PrEP sessions for 30 days, and thereafter until the end of Month 12 (if desired).

Standard PrEP Counseling

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

All participants will received one-on-one, face to face counseling from lay providers at baseline, months 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12. Standard PrEP counseling includes sexual and behavioral risk assessment for HIV/STIs and risk reduction. For those not on PrEP, the sessions will focus on risk perception, awareness of PrEP/post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and facilitators and barriers of accessing PrEP. For those on PrEP, the sessions will focus on adherence. Standard counseling sessions will be nonjudgmental, non-discriminatory and client-centered.

Standard PrEP Counseling and MES-PrEP

Participants in this arm will receive standard PrEP counseling, followed by one mHealth intervention (MES-PrEP) to improve PrEP uptake and support PrEP adherence.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Motivational Enhancement System for PrEP Uptake and Adherence (MES-PrEP)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

MES-PrEP is a two-session computer-delivered intervention based on IMB model. The intervention is tailored based on the person's ratings of perceived importance and confidence of initiating PrEP and sustaining adherence to PrEP. Participants are routed to different intervention content based on their assessment of their importance and confidence. Youth are provided with feedback on scores on the knowledge assessment followed by information about protective effect that can result from improved PrEP adherence. Finally, participants are asked to set a goal: obtain PrEP prescription, optimal adherence, practice steps, or thinking about it more, and they form plans for overcoming barriers. In the second session, branches are based on whether the youth felt they met the goal, partially met the goal, or did not meet the goal. Sessions of MES-PrEP will occur at baseline and month 1.

Standard PrEP Counseling

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

All participants will received one-on-one, face to face counseling from lay providers at baseline, months 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12. Standard PrEP counseling includes sexual and behavioral risk assessment for HIV/STIs and risk reduction. For those not on PrEP, the sessions will focus on risk perception, awareness of PrEP/post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and facilitators and barriers of accessing PrEP. For those on PrEP, the sessions will focus on adherence. Standard counseling sessions will be nonjudgmental, non-discriminatory and client-centered.

Standard PrEP Counseling and Enhanced YaCool

Participants in this arm will receive standard PrEP counseling, followed by one mHealth intervention (Enhanced YaCool) to improve PrEP uptake and support PrEP adherence.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Enhanced YaCool

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Enhanced YaCool is mobile application developed to support transgender women self-management of their gender and sexual health, including PrEP use. YaCool is a passcode-protected app that allows users to personalized text messaged reminders to take PrEP and/or clinic appointments, record PrEP adherence and sexual activity, and track lab tests. The application is set up to provide personalized recommendations for PrEP regimen, confirmed by clinic healthcare staff. Participants will be asked to download Enhanced YaCool to support PrEP use and gender/sexual health self-management between MES-PrEP sessions for 30 days, and thereafter until the end of Month 12 (if desired).

Standard PrEP Counseling

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

All participants will received one-on-one, face to face counseling from lay providers at baseline, months 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12. Standard PrEP counseling includes sexual and behavioral risk assessment for HIV/STIs and risk reduction. For those not on PrEP, the sessions will focus on risk perception, awareness of PrEP/post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and facilitators and barriers of accessing PrEP. For those on PrEP, the sessions will focus on adherence. Standard counseling sessions will be nonjudgmental, non-discriminatory and client-centered.

Standard PrEP Counseling

Participants in this arm will receive the standard PrEP counseling.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Standard PrEP Counseling

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

All participants will received one-on-one, face to face counseling from lay providers at baseline, months 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12. Standard PrEP counseling includes sexual and behavioral risk assessment for HIV/STIs and risk reduction. For those not on PrEP, the sessions will focus on risk perception, awareness of PrEP/post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and facilitators and barriers of accessing PrEP. For those on PrEP, the sessions will focus on adherence. Standard counseling sessions will be nonjudgmental, non-discriminatory and client-centered.

Interventions

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Behavioral: Motivational Enhancement System for PrEP Uptake and Adherence (MES-PrEP)

MES-PrEP is a two-session computer-delivered intervention based on IMB model. The intervention is tailored based on the person's ratings of perceived importance and confidence of initiating PrEP and sustaining adherence to PrEP. Participants are routed to different intervention content based on their assessment of their importance and confidence. Youth are provided with feedback on scores on the knowledge assessment followed by information about protective effect that can result from improved PrEP adherence. Finally, participants are asked to set a goal: obtain PrEP prescription, optimal adherence, practice steps, or thinking about it more, and they form plans for overcoming barriers. In the second session, branches are based on whether the youth felt they met the goal, partially met the goal, or did not meet the goal. Sessions of MES-PrEP will occur at baseline and month 1.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Enhanced YaCool

Enhanced YaCool is mobile application developed to support transgender women self-management of their gender and sexual health, including PrEP use. YaCool is a passcode-protected app that allows users to personalized text messaged reminders to take PrEP and/or clinic appointments, record PrEP adherence and sexual activity, and track lab tests. The application is set up to provide personalized recommendations for PrEP regimen, confirmed by clinic healthcare staff. Participants will be asked to download Enhanced YaCool to support PrEP use and gender/sexual health self-management between MES-PrEP sessions for 30 days, and thereafter until the end of Month 12 (if desired).

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Standard PrEP Counseling

All participants will received one-on-one, face to face counseling from lay providers at baseline, months 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12. Standard PrEP counseling includes sexual and behavioral risk assessment for HIV/STIs and risk reduction. For those not on PrEP, the sessions will focus on risk perception, awareness of PrEP/post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and facilitators and barriers of accessing PrEP. For those on PrEP, the sessions will focus on adherence. Standard counseling sessions will be nonjudgmental, non-discriminatory and client-centered.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Age 16-29 years old
* Male sex at birth
* Self-identifies as woman or transgender women or culturally identifies with the female spectrum
* Confirmed HIV-negative status
* Self-reported recent history of condomless sex in the past 6 months
* Able to understand, read and speak Thai
* Either having not started PrEP (Group 1: PrEP naive), currently on PrEP but not adherent to PrEP (taking ≤3 pills/week) in the past month (Group 2: PrEP users) or currently on PrEP with good adherence (Group 3: PrEP users with good adherence).


* Have at least 1-year experience working with HIV-negative transgender women, including providing PrEP prescription and counseling


* Age 16-29 years old
* Male sex at birth
* Self-identifies as woman or transgender women or culturally identifies with the female spectrum
* Confirmed HIV-negative status
* Self-reported recent history of condomless sex in the past 6 months
* Able to understand, read and speak Thai
* Either having not started PrEP (Group 1: PrEP naive), currently on PrEP but not adherent to PrEP (taking ≤3 pills/week) in the past month (Group 2: PrEP users).

Exclusion Criteria

* Have a serious cognitive or psychiatric problem that would compromise ability to provide informed consent
* Have active suicidal ideation or major mental illness (e.g., untreated psychosis or mania) at the time of interview (patients will be referred for treatment)
* Laboratory or clinical findings that would preclude PrEP initiation (e.g., decreased creatinine clearance)

Healthcare providers


* None

Aim 2:


* Have a serious cognitive or psychiatric problem that would compromise ability to provide informed consent
* Have active suicidal ideation or major mental illness (e.g., untreated psychosis or mania) at the time of interview (patients will be referred for treatment)
* Laboratory or clinical findings that would preclude PrEP initiation (e.g., decreased creatinine clearance)
* Currently enrolled in another HIV intervention study
Minimum Eligible Age

16 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

29 Years

Eligible Sex

MALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Wayne State University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Institute of HIV Research and Innovation Foundation, Thailand

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Massachusetts, Worcester

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Bo Wang

Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Bo Wang

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Massachusetts, Worcester

Locations

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Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand

Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand

Site Status

Institute of HIV Research and Innovation

Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand

Site Status

SWING Foundation

Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand

Site Status

Countries

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Thailand

References

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Baral SD, Poteat T, Stromdahl S, Wirtz AL, Guadamuz TE, Beyrer C. Worldwide burden of HIV in transgender women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Infect Dis. 2013 Mar;13(3):214-22. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(12)70315-8. Epub 2012 Dec 21.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Logie CH, Newman PA, Weaver J, Roungkraphon S, Tepjan S. HIV-Related Stigma and HIV Prevention Uptake Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in Thailand. AIDS Patient Care STDS. 2016 Feb;30(2):92-100. doi: 10.1089/apc.2015.0197. Epub 2016 Jan 20.

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Wood S, Gross R, Shea JA, Bauermeister JA, Franklin J, Petsis D, Swyryn M, Lalley-Chareczko L, Koenig HC, Dowshen N. Barriers and Facilitators of PrEP Adherence for Young Men and Transgender Women of Color. AIDS Behav. 2019 Oct;23(10):2719-2729. doi: 10.1007/s10461-019-02502-y.

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Fuchs JD, Stojanovski K, Vittinghoff E, McMahan VM, Hosek SG, Amico KR, Kouyate A, Gilmore HJ, Buchbinder SP, Lester RT, Grant RM, Liu AY. A Mobile Health Strategy to Support Adherence to Antiretroviral Preexposure Prophylaxis. AIDS Patient Care STDS. 2018 Mar;32(3):104-111. doi: 10.1089/apc.2017.0255.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Songtaweesin WN, Kawichai S, Phanuphak N, Cressey TR, Wongharn P, Saisaengjan C, Chinbunchorn T, Janyam S, Linjongrat D, Puthanakit T; CE-PID - TRC Adolescent Study Team. Youth-friendly services and a mobile phone application to promote adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis among adolescent men who have sex with men and transgender women at-risk for HIV in Thailand: a randomized control trial. J Int AIDS Soc. 2020 Sep;23 Suppl 5(Suppl 5):e25564. doi: 10.1002/jia2.25564.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Naar-King S, Parsons JT, Johnson AM. Motivational interviewing targeting risk reduction for people with HIV: a systematic review. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep. 2012 Dec;9(4):335-43. doi: 10.1007/s11904-012-0132-x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Bonar EE, Wolfe JR, Drab R, Stephenson R, Sullivan PS, Chavanduka T, Hailu B, Guest JL, Bauermeister J. Training Young Adult Peers in a Mobile Motivational Interviewing-Based Mentoring Approach to Upstream HIV Prevention. Am J Community Psychol. 2021 Mar;67(1-2):237-248. doi: 10.1002/ajcp.12471. Epub 2020 Nov 2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Naar-King S, Outlaw AY, Sarr M, Parsons JT, Belzer M, Macdonell K, Tanney M, Ondersma SJ; Adolescent Medicine Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions. Motivational Enhancement System for Adherence (MESA): pilot randomized trial of a brief computer-delivered prevention intervention for youth initiating antiretroviral treatment. J Pediatr Psychol. 2013 Jul;38(6):638-48. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jss132. Epub 2013 Jan 28.

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Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Phanuphak N, Anand T, Jantarapakde J, Nitpolprasert C, Himmad K, Sungsing T, Trachunthong D, Phomthong S, Phoseeta P, Tongmuang S, Mingkwanrungruang P, Meekrua D, Sukthongsa S, Hongwiangchan S, Upanun N, Barisri J, Pankam T, Phanuphak P. What would you choose: Online or Offline or Mixed services? Feasibility of online HIV counselling and testing among Thai men who have sex with men and transgender women and factors associated with service uptake. J Int AIDS Soc. 2018 Jul;21 Suppl 5(Suppl Suppl 5):e25118. doi: 10.1002/jia2.25118.

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MacDonell KK, Wang B, Phanuphak N, Janamnuaysook R, Srimanus P, Rongkavilit C, Naar S. Optimizing an mHealth Intervention to Improve Uptake and Adherence to HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis in Young Transgender Women: Protocol for a Multi-Phase Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2022 May 19;11(5):e37659. doi: 10.2196/37659.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 35587370 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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1R21HD107988-01

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

H00023527

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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