testBKK is a project from APCOM that aims to promote access sexual health services through sex positive messages across Thailand through various social media platforms. In order to reach the target audience, which are young gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM), through its website, which is a hub for all sexual health related contents including friendly community-based clinics that provides quality sexual health related services.
testBKK is one of the first community-led project that ensures campaigns such as safer sex practices, HIV testing, PrEP, and chemsex, using various social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, Tik Tok) are all done with and by the community. We use promotional videos and short clips to amplify key messages, and we also collaborate with various local online influencers to ensure maximum reach. In 2016 testBKK created a series that have big impact on the society called Gay OK Bangkok, where the series explores the lives of gay men in Thailand, while promoting key messages and PrEP, HIV testing, living with with HIV throughout the series. And our latest series called “Deltanu TH” gained 320,000 views amongst young MSM, and it talks about HIV testing, U=U and PrEP usage.
PrEP promotions have been the core of testBKK work, where the campaigns have reached many first time PrEP users in Thailand. From social media promotion, testBKK also provides a hub of information on its website https://www.testbkk.org/en/stay-safe where it promote PrEP as a combination prevention, as well as promoting condom use, PEP, information on STIs and also Chemsex.
In the creation of campaigns on various social media platforms, testBKK targets specific areas and demographics of Thailand where they are at higher risk of acquiring HIV. Specifically, young gay men and chemsex users.
During the development of the campaign, we held focus group discussions with our target audience to understand what kind of materials, image and messaging that they and their peers will respond to, who their social media influencers are, and the social media platforms that they use.
We also looked at what is the latest lifestyle trend on Facebook and Twitter to better tailored the campaign materials. Once the campaign is launched and advertised on Facebook, Twitter and Hornet, a gay dating application popular in Thailand, we specifically target the young gay men and chemsex users within large cities in Thailand and tailored the advertisements to fit the perception of the audience. We also work with social media influencers to help promote the message through their own channels to promote HIV testing and PrEP usage in the community.
The influencers were recruited based on the size and demographic of their fan base. As the influencers already have large followers and already have rapport with their fan base the interaction within the posts are very positive where they like, comment and share, since the posts were tailored specifically for them. For example, one of our influencers @iiam_anawin, with 30,200 followers posted a video promoting HIV testing and PrEP, gathered 5,442 views on an instagram post. https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ0iP7gHzIN/
testBKK has 5,080 followers on Twitter and gained 150,000 impressions monthly with 17,400 profile visits.
On Facebook, testBKK has 73,257 followers, reaching 28,000 viewers per month and 7,600 engagement per month.
In terms of PrEP uptake, since 2017, 3,767 clients went to have their HIV test at one of our community clinic which is promoted by the campaign.
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the campaign is still able to retain its PrEP users and young gay men are still making appointments to get HIV testing and PrEP subscriptions. During the beginning of the pandemic (March 2020) until today, there were 3,977 HIV testing reservations and 312 PrEP subscriptions.
testBKK still strives to innovate ideas and initiatives in promoting PrEP, for Pride Month testBKK launched a new social media platform “Tik Tok” that aims to reach a younger audience in order to promote and create awareness on sexual health.
To see more information on what we do, please visit our website:
Meet APCOM PrEP Experts
