Online PN
The Sexual Health
Messaging Service
developed by GMFA
funded by
The Elton John AIDS Foundation
Presented by Dónal Heath – Project Manager
Presentation Outline
•
•
•
•
Overall idea
Project background
How the service works
Where to from here
Overall idea
Use the technology that gay men use to
meet to increase the ways in which:
1) Gay men can carry out PN
2) Clinics can promote PN to patients
…to reduce undiagnosed STI’s and HIV
Project background
• Review of practise in GUM clinics
• Survey of 3,000 gay men’s
experiences of PN
• Data protection work
• Technical development
• PR
John visits a clinic
John is tested and receives a
positive result.
(The clinic presents him with PN
options.)
The clinic hands the patient a
card referring him to GMFA’s
Sexual Health Messaging Service.
The PN card
The clinic writes on the card
John’s clinic number and a
PIN number.
John sends notifications
John takes the PN card to
a computer, goes to the
SHMS website, signs on
and sends notifications by
text, dating site message
and email.
John’s partners receive notifications
The notifications include:
• A PN Reference Number
• Info on the STI and where to obtain a test at
www.gmfa.org.uk
• Assurances about the authenticity of the message.
• The National Sexual Health Helpline number
John’s partner’s responses
John’s partners are invited to
report the action they will be
taking on our website.
They are also encouraged to
take their PN number with
them to the clinic they
attend.
One automatic reminder
message will be sent.
Additional features
•
Clinics can use the SHMS to carry
out Provider Referrals via dating
sites, text messages and email.
•
Clinics can use the SHMS website to
assist with Provider Referral followup.
•
GMFA can generate reports on the
performance of individual clinics to
help with monitoring and auditing.
Learning so far
1. Acceptability demonstrated.
2. Has been used to notify about HIV.
3. It is more popular for patient led PN so far.
4. Still working out the full potential.
Where to from here?
1. Continue / expand the pilot
2. Refine the service
3. Add dating apps
4. Expand to the wider community