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Old-school face-to-face social networking is a more effective way to identify people with HIV than the traditional referral method, suggests research being presented at IDWeek 2014. The study shows that social networking strategies (SNS) -- enlisting people in high-risk groups to recruit their peers to get tested -- is more efficient and targeted than traditional testing and referral programs, resulting in 2-1/2 times more positive test results.

As many as 20 percent of HIV-positive people are unaware of being infected with the virus, and therefore do not receive vital treatment. In addition to missing out on medications that can improve their prognosis and quality of life, these patients also are more likely to spread the disease to others. Therefore, encouraging people at risk for HIV to get tested is critical.

SNS programs likely are more effective because they are more proactive than traditional counseling, testing and referral (CTR) programs, which are available to anyone who wishes to be tested but do not offer the same motivation as encouragement by peers.

"A limitation of the traditional approach is that many people who are at high risk of HIV never take the initiative to get tested on their own," said Ryan Westergaard, MD, PhD, MPH, lead author of the study and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison. "Our study found that using social network strategies, in which we enlist people at high risk to encourage peers in their social networks to get tested, results in a higher proportion of positive HIV tests -- making our efforts more effective and allowing us to reach the people who need it most."

In the study, researchers collected data from 45 HIV testing sites in Wisconsin over four years. Through SNS, 54 of 2,169 (2.49 percent) people tested were HIV-positive vs. 440 of 48,318 (.91 percent) of those tested through CTR.

In SNS -- which is growing in large cities -- people at high risk for HIV are paid an incentive (typically $10 to $20) for every person they refer who gets tested. Some experts are concerned that these programs are costly, but the new research suggests that SNS is worthwhile, because it results in a higher percentage of positive tests.

"Some SNS programs limit the numbers of people a recruiter can refer for testing, based on the assumption that that they're just signing up everyone they know to make more money, even if they're unlikely to be HIV-positive," said Dr. Westergaard. "Our study showed that, on average, the 30th or 40th person referred for testing through SNS had just as high if not a higher probability of having a positive HIV test than the first five or 10 people referred.This suggests SNS can be a cost-effective tool to increase testing in specific high risk pools, such as men who have sex with men and transgender people."

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The above story is based on materials provided by Infectious Diseases Society of America. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Real-life social networking prompts people to get tested for HIV

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday discussed the use of social media in checking terror activities and a host of other issues with social networking giant Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The issues discussed included 'Swachh Bharat' Mission with the Facebook co-founder.

Mr Zuckerberg, who called on the Prime Minister, expressed his interest in working with the government in the areas of healthcare and education.

The Prime Minister pointed out that many terrorist elements are using social media platforms to recruit members, according to an official statement.

"This is unfortunate and we need to think of the role the social media can play to stop terror," PM Modi said.

Facebook will extend help in developing the 'Clean India' Mobile App that would be launched soon. "This would give a strong impetus to the Swachh Bharat Mission," the statement said.

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Think How Social Media Can Stop Terror: PM Narendra Modi Tells Mark Zuckerberg

Saif Ali Khan recently revealed that he stays away from social networking sites because he fears that he won't be able to retain his followers for long.

READ : Saif Ali Khan: Lesser Known Facts

"Social networking sites have many advantages, but I wonder how I will handle my fans and followers. I am sure I will say something stupid and they will all go away. Even my mom says that I can't have more than five friends," he said.

Interestingly, a few years ago, when social media was becoming popular among Bollywood stars, Saif had said that he wouldn't join any social networking sites as he thinks stars should have an air of mystery around them.

WATCH : Why Saif Ali Khan won't join social networking sites

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Why Saif Ali Khan wont join social networking sites

Secure remote control for conventional and virtual desktops

A US District Court has shot down a motion to toss out the government's evidence against alleged Silk Road mastermind Ross Ulbricht, ruling that the FBI's investigation did not violate Ulbricht's Fourth Amendment rights.

In a 38-page ruling, District Judge Katherine Forrest wrote that the defense could not exclude evidence gathered from the Icelandic server that hosted the Silk Road darknet service, rejecting Ulbricht's attorneys' argument that the probe was conducted illegally.

The order, in large part, sides with the arguments put forward by the prosecutors in the case.

Ulbricht's lawyers had argued that the FBI's search of the server, which was carried out without a warrant, violated Ulbricht's Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure. Judge Forrest, however, ruled that the Fourth Amendment did not apply in Ulbricht's case.

In particular, the judge noted that Ulbricht had failed to establish that he had a "personal privacy interest" in the server. Had he submitted a sworn statement asserting such interest, she observed, it could not have been admitted as evidence of his guilt during his trial, although it could have been used to poke holes in his testimony should he take the witness stand.

Ulbricht has offered no such statement, however, presumably to keep his story straight: he denies being the operator of Silk Road. But if he doesn't come forward and say the server is his, Judge Forrest said, he can't establish that he has a personal privacy interest in it and absent the expectation of privacy, he can't claim Fourth Amendment protection.

"Here, the Court does not know whether Ulbricht made a tactical choice because he is as they say between a rock and a hard place, or because he truly has no personal privacy interest in the servers at issue," the judge wrote. "It is clear, however, that this Court may not proceed with a Fourth Amendment analysis in the absence of the requisite interest."

The information gathered from the search of the Icelandic server was later used to issue warrants within the US to gather information in the investigation leading up to Ulbricht's arrest on drug and conspiracy charges. Judge Forrest acknowledged that had the defense prevailed, virtually all of the evidence pinning Ulbricht as the head of Silk Road would have been excluded.

As it is, the judge declined Ulbricht's lawyers' motion to suppress the evidence against him and his case will move forward, with his trial due to begin in November.

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Judge nukes Ulbricht's complaint about WARRANTLESS FBI Silk Road server raid

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