8. The Preliminary Efficacy of a Mhealth Preventive Intervention on PrEP Willingness For Uptake, Attitudes and Beliefs Among Adolescents

HIV remains a significant public health concern in the United States, and adolescents (defined hereon ages 14-21) are disproportionately affected. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a novel biomedical tool that has been shown to be effective in preventing HIV infection among adults. Yet, scientific knowledge on PrEP willingness for uptake, attitudes and beliefs among adolescents remains limited. Mobile health (mHealth) apps, defined as the implementation of medical and public health interventions through mobile devices, have been shown to impact HIV-related outcomes among adolescents. Therefore, mHealth apps may be ideal to enhance PrEP-related outcomes among adolescents but are an understudied approach. Storytelling 4 Empowerment (S4E) is a mHealth preventive intervention that includes a clinician-initiated prevention and risk reduction encounter. Originally, S4E was developed and has demonstrated preliminary efficacy in reducing HIV risk behaviors and improving uptake of HIV testing. The present study sought to examine the preliminary efficacy of S4E on improving PrEP willingness for uptake, attitudes and beliefs among adolescents, relative to usual practice control group.