Effectiveness of PrEPTECH: Findings From a 180-Day Randomized Controlled Trial of a Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Telehealth Intervention.

Background: Telehealth approaches are increasingly being used to provide access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), an effective but underused HIV prevention modality. This randomized controlled trial of PrEPTECH, a telehealth intervention for the provision of HIV PrEP, seeks to assess its effects on PrEP access.

Methods: Young men who have sex with men and transgender women in Florida and California with an indication for PrEP were randomly assigned in a 1:1 allocation to receive access to PrEPTECH or a control condition, access to an online listing of PrEP resources in their communities.

Effectiveness, Acceptability, and Feasibility of a Telehealth HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Care Intervention Among Young Cisgender Men and Transgender Women Who Have Sex With Men: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Despite its promise for HIV prevention, the uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been slow, and there have been substantial inequities in PrEP access. Young men who have sex with men and transgender women of color are most in need of PrEP and least likely to have that need fulfilled. PrEP telehealth care, which provides remote PrEP care via electronic communication, seems well suited to address several of the challenges of PrEP provision, including discomfort with stigmatizing and difficult-to-access health care systems, transportation challenges, and privacy concerns, and address disparities in PrEP access.

The hookup: collaborative evaluation of a youth sexual health program using text messaging technology.

Background: The Hookup is a collaborative project reaching young people in California with valuable sexual and reproductive health information and linkage to local resources. Due to limited access to subscriber contact information, it has been a challenge to evaluate the program.

Objective: The aims of this study were to determine the feasibility of using text messaging (short message service, SMS) as an evaluation tool for an educational text message-based program and to evaluate the program itself.

Associations among text messaging, academic performance, and sexual behaviors of adolescents.

Background: Text messaging is an increasingly common mode of communication, especially among adolescents, and frequency of texting may be a measure of one's sociability. This study examined how text messaging ("texting") frequency and academic performance are associated with adolescent sexual behaviors.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to students at a public charter high school in Los Angeles County, CA.

Adolescents' perspectives on the use of a text messaging service for preventive sexual health promotion.

Purpose: To understand adolescents' perspectives on the use of a preventive sexual health text messaging service.

Methods: Twenty-six adolescents aged 15-20 years old were recruited from two teen clinics in Los Angeles County to participate in focus groups. Three focus groups were held.

Bridging the gap: using school-based health services to improve chlamydia screening among young women.

Objectives: We implemented a chlamydia screening program targeted at young women accessing reproductive health care services in a school-based setting, and we assessed racial/ethnic factors associated with infection.

Methods: The California Family Health Council partnered with 9 health care agencies receiving federal Title X family planning funding and 19 educational institutions to implement the Educational Partnerships to Increase Chlamydia Screening (EPICS) program from January 2008 through December 2008.

Results: EPICS agencies provided reproductive health services to 3396 unique sexually active females, 85% of whom self-reported no other source for reproductive health care.