Transcript application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument

Use of Social Media among Sex
Workers and Men who have Sex with
Men in Jamaica
Presented by Anya Cushnie
Full report available at:
www.cchangeproject.com
Contents
1. Rationale and
Objectives
2. Methodology
3. Key Findings
4. Conclusions and
Recommendations
1. Rationale and Objectives
What is Social Media?
5
Social media is defined as the use of web-based and
mobile technologies to turn communication into
interactive dialog.
Locally, internet usage is currently estimated at
55%, having grown exponentially from only 2.3 %
in little over a decade (Internet World Stats
2012).
6+6
6
According to the Office of Utility Regulations in
Jamaica, at the end of December 2010, there
was a 117 % penetration of cell phones (2011).
7
Almost 630,000
Jamaicans are
registered
Facebook
users, the third
highest in the
Caribbean
(Internet World
Stats 2012).
Objectives
 To explore the use of technology for information-seeking
and communication among SW and MSM in Jamaica,
specifically via social media sites.
 To inform the development of communication
materials/media aimed at reaching these two distinct
audiences as part of broader HIV prevention interventions.
2. Methodology
Methodology
Data Collection
Software & Analysis
 Data collectors recruited
 Completed surveys were
from the MSM/SW pop.
 Asked to interview
within their networks –
social or professional.
 Asked to administer up
to 80 surveys.
 Data collection via
smart phones.
uploaded to an online
database using
GATHERDATA Software.
 Collected surveys were
downloaded into Excel.
 Analysis was completed in
SPSS.
Data Collectors
Parish
15 data
collectors
3 urban capitals
3 week period
SW
MSM
Kingston & St.
Andrew
2
3
St. James (Montego
Bay and Negril)
2
4
St. Ann (Ocho Rios)
2
2
TOTAL
6
9
Ethical Considerations
 Ethical approval received from IRB.
 Ministry of Health in Jamaica
 Media Lab Inc. in United States
 Voluntary consent was obtained verbally by the data
collector and witnessed.
 Respondents were asked to initial the consent form,
names were not recorded for confidentiality.
 No remuneration for participation.
Sampling
 Snowball sampling approach by data collectors who
represented various networks, S-E classes and
locations.
 Sample: 448 MSM, 66 MSW, 273 FSW = 787
 Respondent’s home:
 Southeast (including Kingston & St. Andrew): 35.2%
 Northeast (including St. Ann): 29.2%
 Western (including St. James): 29.4%
 Southern: 6.2%
3. Key Findings
Internet and Cell Phone Use
MSM
98.4
82
89.4
FSW
MSW
82.0
71.2
31.9
Cell Phone Use
Internet Use
Main Reasons for Cell Phone Use
 MSM used cell phones mainly to:
o
o
Text message (98.6%)
Send and receive pictures, video and sound clips (77.8 %)
o
o
To casual sex partners (97.7%)
Access the Internet (18%)
 FSW used cell phones mainly:
o
o
Text message (93.8%)
Most (80.8%) FSWs were not able to send or receive
pictures, video, or sound on their cell phones.
Main Reasons for Internet Use
 MSM used the Internet mainly to:
o
o
o
o
o
Visit social media sites (86%)
Email (81.2%)
Visit entertainment sites (58.5 %)
Visit pornography sites (53.1%)
Work purposes (49.3%)
 FSW reported mainly using the internet for:
o
o
o
Email (86.2%)
Visit social media sites (77%)
Find casual sexual partners (67.8 %)
Main Social Media Sites Visited
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter
MSM (n=414)
Tagged
Adam for Adam BGClive.com
FSW (n=87)
MSW (n=47)
Linkedin
Pink Report
Reasons for Using Social Media
Play games
MSW (n=46)
Business
FSW (n=86)
Parties
MSM (n=408)
Entertainment
Long-term sex partners
Casual sex partners
Make new friends
Share experiences and…
Stay-up to date
0
20
40
60
80
100
Interest in Receiving SW/MSM-Specific
Health Information and Channel Preferences
M SM
(n=448)
FSW
(n=273)
MSW
(n=66)
Totals
(n=339)
%
(n)
%
(n)
%
(n)
%
(n)
No
6.3
(28)
0.4
(1)
1.5
(1)
0.6
(2)
Yes
83.5
(374)
98.5 (269)
92.4
(61)
Not sure
10.3
(46)
1.1
(3)
6.1
(4)
2.1
(7)
100.1
448
100
273
100
66
100
339
Total
97.3 (330
Want information via in-person (65.8 %) and text (61.5%) channels.
Frequency of Viewing Health
Information online
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Daily
2-3 times a
week
MSM (n=408)
Weekly
Monthly
FSW (n=86)
Infrequently
MSW (n=46)
Never
Willingness to Share Health Information
Other reason
Interest/help others
MSW (n=45)
FSW (n=43)
MSM (n=274)
Received from someone
trusted
It was entertaining
It was new
0
50
100
3. Conclusions and
Recommendations
Conclusions – Access and Use
 MARPs are hard to reach populations. This study
provided important findings for how to reach them via
social media channels.
 Need for segmentation of MARP populations.
 High levels of access to cell phones, with MSM highest.

Almost all send and receive text messages
 High level of internet access among MSM and MSW.
 Lower levels (1/3) of internet access among FSW.
 Internet used to access social media.
Conclusions – Health Information
 FSW had higher rates of using Internet for health
information.


Approximately half of FSW
Approximately 10% of MSM and MSW
 Trusted sources of health information.



Health professionals
Family
Friends
 High level of interest in receiving group specific
information.

Private channels preferred
Recommendations
 Communication strategies for reaching MARPs need to take
into account their intended audience’s level of technology
access and preferences for using these technologies.
 Ensure that communication approaches using social and
mobile-phone based media are multi-directional and do not
rely too heavily on one-way communication.
 Involve individuals trusted by MARP audiences in different
ways. Health professionals were among the most trusted
sources of health information for the groups studied and
may lend credibility to your message or program.
Recommendations
 Consider the appropriateness and limitations of using
social media as a communication channel when
developing communication and new program
strategies.
 Always ensure the privacy and confidentiality of your
audience and take precautions to ensure that their
personal information is not compromised.
 Innovative and creative means need to be employed to
disseminate HIV and health information and engage
populations that are hard to reach (such as MSM and
SW) in dialog and strategies towards their own
protection.
Questions