Effects of Short Message Service on HIV Prevention Among Young College Students

This study aims to asses the effect of short message on HIV prevention for college students. 360 first-year college students participated in this study. Short message services (SMS) were sent to the intervention group with 180 participants three times every week for 6 months and nothing for the control group with 180 participants. Outcome included HIV-related knowledge, safe sex practice and HIV test behavior. After three-month period and six-month period intervention, the awareness of HIV knowledge, the proportion of condom use in the last sex, the proportion of participants who reported HIV testing in the last six months in the intervention group were all higher than the control group. Moreover, there was a rising trend in the awareness of HIV-related knowledge, the proportion of condom use in the last sex, HIV testing in the last six months and consulting HIV knowledge in the intervention group. SMS-based intervention was helpful in increasing HIV knowledge, improving condom use and HIV testing behavior.