What are mass media interventions made of? Exploring the active content of interventions designed to increase HIV testing in gay men within a systematic review.

What is already known on this subject? Interventions are urgently needed to increase HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM) and enable increased access to effective treatment for HIV infection. There is some evidence of the effectiveness of mass media interventions in increasing HIV testing among MSM. Nothing is known about the active components of existing mass media interventions targeting HIV testing. What does this study add? It describes the available literature concerning evaluated mass media interventions to increase HIV testing. It shows few interventions report any explicit theoretical basis although many interventions share common components, including coherently connected causal mechanisms and behaviour change techniques to moderate them. As a minimum, future interventions should improve knowledge about testing; use well-branded and trusted sources that endorse testing; and provide clear information about the health benefits of testing. Our analysis also tentatively suggests it may be useful to elicit commitment and planning of how to implement testing intentions.