Filipino youth who use social media are more likely to be knowledgeable about HIV, but not about treatment options

27 Aug 2026

There remain gaps in understanding the factors influencing comprehensive HIV knowledge and HIV treatment (called antiretroviral therapy or ART) awareness, especially in middle-income countries and with media influences such as digital media use. It is crucial to examine how HIV health literacy is influenced by the use of digital platforms, specifically to obtain information about sex. Understanding HIV health literacy in adolescents and young adults is particularly critical given the distinct challenges they face.

There is still a lack of understanding about what influences young people’s knowledge about HIV in middle-income countries, even though many of them regularly use the Internet and social media. This study looked at whether using digital media—specifically social media and online news or articles—to find information about sex is linked to better knowledge about HIV and awareness of ART among Filipino youth aged 15 to 24. Using national survey data from over 10,000 participants, the study found that young people who used social media for sex-related information were more likely to have good knowledge about HIV, but this was not the case for awareness of treatment. On the other hand, using Internet media like news sites was not linked to better HIV knowledge or treatment awareness. The study suggests ways public health efforts can make better use of digital platforms to improve HIV education among youth.

This study offers practical insights for HIV education in middle-income countries like the Philippines, where young people widely use digital platforms such as Internet media and social media. It finds that while social media use is associated with better HIV knowledge, it is not significantly linked to awareness of treatment options like ART—both of which are crucial for promoting HIV testing and improving health outcomes. Other digital and traditional media sources show limited or even negative associations with HIV knowledge. These findings highlight the need for public health programs to better leverage digital media by providing accurate, accessible content on both HIV prevention and treatment. The study informs targeted digital strategies to strengthen HIV health literacy, reduce stigma, and ultimately improve health outcomes among adolescents and young adults.

Author: Xavier Javines Bilon (School of Statistics, University of the Philippines Diliman)

Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2025.2534121

Filipino youth who use social media are more likely to be knowledgeable about HIV, but not about treatment options

There remain gaps in understanding the factors influencing comprehensive HIV knowledge and HIV treatment (called antiretroviral therapy or ART) awareness, especially in middle-income countries and with media influences such as digital media use. It is crucial to examine how HIV health literacy is influenced by the use of digital platforms, specifically to obtain information about sex. Understanding HIV health literacy in adolescents and young adults is particularly critical given the distinct challenges they face.

There is still a lack of understanding about what influences young people’s knowledge about HIV in middle-income countries, even though many of them regularly use the Internet and social media. This study looked at whether using digital media—specifically social media and online news or articles—to find information about sex is linked to better knowledge about HIV and awareness of ART among Filipino youth aged 15 to 24. Using national survey data from over 10,000 participants, the study found that young people who used social media for sex-related information were more likely to have good knowledge about HIV, but this was not the case for awareness of treatment. On the other hand, using Internet media like news sites was not linked to better HIV knowledge or treatment awareness. The study suggests ways public health efforts can make better use of digital platforms to improve HIV education among youth.

This study offers practical insights for HIV education in middle-income countries like the Philippines, where young people widely use digital platforms such as Internet media and social media. It finds that while social media use is associated with better HIV knowledge, it is not significantly linked to awareness of treatment options like ART—both of which are crucial for promoting HIV testing and improving health outcomes. Other digital and traditional media sources show limited or even negative associations with HIV knowledge. These findings highlight the need for public health programs to better leverage digital media by providing accurate, accessible content on both HIV prevention and treatment. The study informs targeted digital strategies to strengthen HIV health literacy, reduce stigma, and ultimately improve health outcomes among adolescents and young adults.

Author: Xavier Javines Bilon (School of Statistics, University of the Philippines Diliman)

Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2025.2534121