Journal Article

Adolescent girls and young women’s PrEP-user journey during an implementation science study in South Africa and Kenya

Travill, Danielle, Katz, Ariana W. K., Johnson, Rachel, Bukusi, Elizabeth, Heffron, Renee, Morton, Jennifer F., Baeten, Jared M., Omollo, Victor, O’Rourke, Shannon, van der Straten, Ariane, Celum, Connie, O’Malley, Gabrielle, Delany-Moretlwe, Sinead, Bekker, Linda-Gail, Rousseau, Elzette, Haberer, Jessica E.

2021

Overview

Successful scale-up of PrEP for HIV prevention in African adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) requires integration of PrEP into young women’s everyday lives. We conducted interviews and focus group discussions with 137 AGYW PrEP users aged 16–25 from South Africa and Kenya. Individual and relational enablers and disablers were explored at key moments during their PrEP-user journey from awareness, initiation and early use through persistence, including PrEP pauses, restarts, and discontinuation. PrEP uptake was facilitated when offered as part of an integrated sexual reproductive health service, but hampered by low awareness, stigma and misconceptions about PrEP in the community. Daily pill-taking was challenging for AGYW due to individual, relational and structural factors and PrEP interruptions (intended or unintended) were described as part of AGYW’s PrEP-user journey. Disclosure, social support, adolescent-friendly health counseling, and convenient access to PrEP were reported as key enablers for PrEP persistence.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome / Adolescent / Adolescent girls / Adolescents / AIDS / Anti-HIV Agents - administration & dosage / Antiretroviral drugs / Biology and Life Sciences / Counseling / Data collection / Disclosure / Discontinued / Disease prevention / Domestic violence / Female / Females / Girls / Health aspects / Health risks / Health services / HIV / HIV Infections - prevention & control / HIV Infections - psychology / Human immunodeficiency virus / Humans / Implementation / Implementation Science / Interruptions / Kenya / Medical research / Medicine and Health Sciences / Misconceptions / Pauses / Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis / Prevention / Prevention programs / Preventive medicine / Psychology, Adolescent / Qualitative research / Reproductive health / Sexual behavior / Sexual health / Sexually transmitted diseases / Social interactions / Social Sciences / Social Stigma / Social Support / South Africa / STD / Stigma / Teenage girls / Teenagers / Tutu, Desmond / Uptake / Women / Women - psychology / Young Adult / Young adults / Young women