Tu'Washindi na PrEP: Working With Young Women and Service Providers to Design an Intervention for PrEP Uptake and Adherence in the Context of Gender-Based Violence

HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) reduces HIV acquisition among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). Existing evidence suggests that uptake and adherence are low among AGYW and that relationship factors such as gender-based violence (GBV) are important barriers. Through a community-based participatory research (CBPR) process, a youth advisory board (YAB), service providers (SP), and a study team developed the Tu'Washindi na PrEP intervention to support AGYW PrEP use in the context of GBV. The YAB also guided the formative research and interpretation of results. The authors pretested the intervention with SP, AGYW and their partners, and community change agents, and then developed guides for AGYW support clubs, community-based male sensitization sessions, and couples-based events that included formulation of story lines for dramatized PrEP negotiation and information dissemination skills. Stakeholder engagement led to an intervention responsive to AGYW's needs for PrEP support in the context of their relationships, which was evaluated through a 6-month pilot community randomized controlled trial.

 

Hartmann M, Otticha S, Agot K, Minnis AM, Montgomery ET, Roberts ST. Tu'Washindi na PrEP: Working With Young Women and Service Providers to Design an Intervention for PrEP Uptake and Adherence in the Context of Gender-Based Violence. AIDS Educ Prev. 2021 Apr;33(2):103-119. doi: 10.1521/aeap.2021.33.2.103. PMID: 33821679.

Related Experts

Sarah T. Roberts

Expertise

Social and behavioral barriers to HIV prevention

Gender-based violence

Epidemiologic methods

Adolescent girls and young women

Southern and Eastern Africa

Elizabeth Montgomery

Expertise

HIV prevention research

Quantitative and qualitative methods

Male partner interventions

Miriam A. Hartmann

Expertise

Gender-based violence prevention

Global women's health

Sexual and reproductive health

Qualitative research methods