Methods: From November 2013 to January 2014, ASO/CBO online outreach providers and managers (n = 22) were recruited to complete a 1-hour in-person/telephone interview to explore in-depth their experiences with, and perspectives on, delivering online outreach services for GBM in Ontario. Participants were asked to identify the organizational structures, policies, or programs that are supportive of this work and were asked to comment on the capacities, opportunities, barriers, and challenges for providing online outreach. Participants also commented on their evaluation practices and the parameters they used to indicate success. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analyses were conducted using NVivo10 and were primarily framed by a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats or Challenges).
Results: The findings indicate that service providers consider online outreach a vital tool for HIV prevention. Providers highlighted the strengths and advantages (anonymity, engaging hard-to-reach GBM) of online outreach over face-to-face outreach. Across interviews, the following themes were identified as barriers to providing effective online outreach services: staff capacity and training, confidentiality and privacy of online interactions, safety of participants and staff, uncertainty of best practices, and lack of updated HIV prevention tools.
Conclusion & Implications: This is the first study of its kind to examine GBM’s online outreach contexts from the providers’ perspective. The findings highlight the barriers to and advantages of providing online outreach for GBM. These findings can inform HIV policy makers and funders on how to support ASOs and increase the effectiveness of online outreach to diverse GBM communities. These findings can assist social work and public health practitioners in “meeting clients where they are” – online. This analysis: (1) offers a nuanced understanding of the challenges associated with research and program evaluations of online HIV prevention and outreach services for GBM; and (2) provides a platform to foster dialogues with researchers, community providers and funders to recognize online outreach as an essential HIV prevention service for GBM communities globally.