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HealthMpowerment Korea: Pilot Testing the Cultural Adaptation of a Digital HIV Intervention for Men Who Have Sex With Men in South Korea

NCT07741123 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 50

Last updated 2026-08-03

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study tests a mobile application (app) designed to support sexual health and prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among young men in South Korea. Researchers are interested to learn if the app is acceptable, easy to use, and helpful for young men who have sex with men (MSM).

Participants will complete a 15-minute online survey at the start of the study and another 15-minute survey 3 months later. Participants will be randomly assigned to 1 of 2 study groups for 3 months:

1. Intervention Group: Participants receive access to the full mobile app, called Bandi. The app includes health articles, quizzes, community discussion forums, a personal sexual health log, and a clinic finder.
2. Control Group: Participants receive access to a basic version of the app that includes informational articles and the clinic finder only.

Researchers will compare both groups over 3 months to see if using the full app leads to higher rates of HIV testing and lower sexual risk behaviors.

Conditions

  • HIV Infections
  • HIV Prevention and Care
  • Risk Reduction Behavior
  • Digital Health

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Bandi Mobile Application (Full Access)

A culturally adapted digital HIV prevention mobile application designed for young men who have sex with men (MSM) in South Korea. Participants receive 3-month access to five core integrated features: interactive health articles and quizzes (covering PrEP, adherence, and sexual health); moderated peer community discussion forums and polls; Love Log (a sexual health tracking and planning tool); Care Locator (a directory of local HIV/STI testing centers); and gamification elements (customizable avatars and badges).

BEHAVIORAL

Information-Only Mobile Application (Limited Access)

A limited version of the mobile application provided to the control group over a 3-month period. Access is restricted to static online educational articles/resources and the Care Locator feature for finding local HIV/STI testing centers.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Ewha Womans University

    collaborator OTHER

  • Seul Ki Choi

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Seul Ki Choi, MPH, PhD · University of Pennsylvania

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
35 Years
Sex
MALE
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-09-01
Primary Completion
2027-03-31
Completion
2027-06-30

Countries

  • South Korea

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07741123 on ClinicalTrials.gov