Using tailored media as an innovative approach to recruit to global health research

Digital media has a global reach that includes increasingly marginalised and vulnerable communities. Engaging, empowering media paired with key health messaging can provide education in more effective ways, build trust and bring communities together. An HIV testing and study recruitment film was co-created with a multidisciplinary team of HIV/sexual health physicians, medical and social science researchers from Bali, Jakarta and London, as well as members of the community and commercial film and media creatives. This short film provides a novel and innovative approach to recruit to a social science study and encourage HIV testing among men who have sex with men in Indonesia. This study aims to inform a digital HIV risk reduction tool for a community affected by increasing marginalisation and a fast-growing HIV epidemic.