Mobile Health Interventions for HIV Management and Prevention

Mobile health (mHealth) interventions have emerged as vital tools in the global response to HIV, offering scalable, tailored support for prevention, testing and long-term treatment adherence. These interventions range from smartphone applications and SMS-based reminder systems to gamified modules and clinic-integrated platforms. By harnessing real-time data, behavioural theory and user-centred design, mHealth solutions address barriers such as stigma, geographic isolation and resource constraints. In low- and middle-income settings, simple, low-bandwidth apps facilitate remote monitoring of antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and transition readiness among adolescents, while in higher-resource contexts sophisticated digital platforms link at-risk populations to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and mental health services. Across diverse regions, studies underscore the importance of usability, cultural adaptation and data security in achieving sustained engagement. Collectively, this body of work highlights the capacity of digital interventions to strengthen the HIV care continuum, enhance patient-provider communication and drive equitable access to prevention and treatment services worldwide.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Mobile Health Interventions for HIV Management and Prevention publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in mobile health interventions for hiv management and prevention across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

mHealth: The use of mobile and wireless technologies to support health objectives and interventions.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART): The pharmacological regimen used to suppress the HIV virus and halt disease progression.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP): A preventive strategy whereby uninfected individuals take antiretroviral drugs to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV.

Self-efficacy: An individual’s belief in their capacity to execute behaviours necessary to produce specific performance attainments.

HIV self-testing (HIVST): A rapid diagnostic approach enabling individuals to collect their own specimens and interpret test results privately.

References

1. A qualitative assessment of the perceived acceptability and feasibility of eHARTS, a mobile application for transition readiness assessment for adolescents living with HIV in South Africa. PLOS Digital Health (2023).
2. Efficacy of a Mobile Phone–Based Intervention on Health Behaviors and HIV/AIDS Treatment Management: Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research (2023).
3. Clinic-Integrated Smartphone App (JomPrEP) to Improve Uptake of HIV Testing and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Malaysia: Mixed Methods Evaluation of Usability and Acceptability. JMIR mHealth and uHealth (2023).
4. The Success of Serious Games and Gamified Systems in HIV Prevention and Care: Scoping Review. JMIR Serious Games (2023).