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Feds Spend $1,788,748 on Virtual Reality Game for Young Gay Men
 [Freebeacon] The National Institutes of Health is spending over $1.7 million on a virtual reality game for young men who have sex with men."Tough Talks" is a virtual simulation that allows young gay men to practice how to tell their partner they have HIV, using virtual reality technology. A technology training company‐Georgia-based Virtually Better, Inc.‐as well as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies are creating the game. Sixty-seven percent of young gay men do not disclose their HIV status to first-time sex partners, according to the grant behind the study. Researchers see virtual reality as a solution. "Given the potential benefits and challenges associated with disclosure, there is a need for sophisticated interventions that can assist [men who have sex with men] MSM, with the disclosure process," the grant states. "Virtual reality provides a unique environment for users to practice HIV disclosure." "Primary outcomes of HIV viral load and condomless anal intercourse (CAI) will be assessed at intervention completion (1 month) and at 6-month follow-up," according to the grant. The project began during the Obama administration in 2014 and has cost taxpayers $1,788,748 so far. The project will continue through May 2020. Posted by: Besoeker 2019-01-02 |
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