Impact of Mobile Phone-Based Interventions on Methamphetamine Use and High-risk Sexual Behaviors in Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM): A Systematic Review

Today, increased use of methamphetamine in homosexual men is associated with high-risk sexualbehaviors and (HIV) epidemic. Mobile phone-based interventions are an accessible and rapid method toprovide healthcare services to this population. This study aimed to systematically review the effects of mobilephone-based interventions on methamphetamine use and high-risk sexual behaviors in homosexual men.

This systematic review was conducted by two researchers via searching in PubMed, Google Scholar,Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO databases to retrieve the published articles regarding the effects ofmobile phone-based interventions on the control of methamphetamine use and high-risk sexual behaviors.

Among 250 unique articles that were retrieved, only five cases met all the inclusion criteria of thestudy. Accordingly, some of the applied interventions included text messaging (n = 4) and mobile apps(n = 1). In this regard, the use of text messaging significantly decreased the rates of methamphetamine use,condomless anal intercourse (CAI), and HIV transmission among homosexual men.

According to the results, short-term interventions based on text messaging could decrease therates of methamphetamine use and the high-risk sexual behaviors associated with HIV infection inhomosexual men. Despite the positive impact of these interventions, long-term follow-ups are required forindividuals using methamphetamine in different communities