Ethical Considerations
WeChat-based
The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Sun Yat-sen University (Institutional Review Board number 054/19; February 28, 2019). Informed consent was obtained from each ego at the clinic and from each alter on the internet through the WeChat-based system. The study data were collected and stored securely on the servers of the Guangzhou CDC HIV testing service system, WeChat-based database, and web-based questionnaire database, in accordance with relevant data protection laws and regulations. Access to these databases was restricted to the research team in order to ensure the confidentiality and privacy of the data.