Experiences with Oral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Service Delivery and Use Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women (Agyw) in Routine Primary Care Settings, South Africa
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15333760 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Catherine Martin (0000-0003-4525-3098, University of the Witwatersrand, corresponding author), Catherine E Martin (0000-0002-8177-1944), Lorrein Shamiso Muhwava (0000-0001-8585-0693, University of the Witwatersrand), Siphokazi Dada (0000-0001-6170-4763, University of the Witwatersrand), F Scorgie (0000-0003-2560-8234, University of the Witwatersrand), Saiqa Mullick (0000-0001-7039-1949, University of the Witwatersrand) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 1216-1227 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-09 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | AIDS and Behavior (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1090-7165 • E-ISSN: 1573-3254 |
| Publisher | Springer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10461-024-04596-5 |
| PMID | 39779628 |
| OpenAlex | W4406161400 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 25 |
In South Africa, oral PrEP was included in national guidelines as part of a combination HIV prevention package for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in 2017. Understanding their experiences of accessing and using PrEP is necessary to evaluate and improve PrEP service delivery approaches. This descriptive study explored AGYW's knowledge and understanding of PrEP, their experiences and influences on PrEP access and use in real world settings in South Africa. We conducted 44 in-depth interviews with female PrEP users (15-24 years) enrolled in Project PrEP. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed for analysis using thematic analysis procedures. Participants reported positive experiences and overall satisfaction with accessing health services (i.e., youth-friendly clinic spaces, friendly and non-judgemental staff, privacy during consultations). Distance from the clinic, long queues, negative provider attitudes, and occasional stock-outs were key health service barriers to accessing PrEP. Individual motivating factors to continued PrEP use included creating daily pilltaking routines and the goal to remain HIV negative, while barriers included pill fatigue, frequent clinic visits, and side-effects. Positive relationships with partners and family facilitated disclosure of PrEP use, while stigma was identified as a community barrier to accessing PrEP services. Our study highlights AGYWs' experiences with PrEP access and use in a real-world setting. Facilitators and barriers identified in this study can be leveraged to strengthen efforts to support young women and ensure effective PrEP use. The findings also contribute to the development of appropriate service delivery
Family medicine · Health psychology · Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV · Men who have sex with men · Pre-exposure prophylaxis · Public health · Qualitative research · Service (business · Service delivery framework · Service provider · Thematic analysis · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Medicine · Nursing · Sex work and related issues
Using the social ecological model to understand the factors that influence the attitudes women have towards the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV in Uganda
Preparedness of Primary Health Care Clinic (PHCC) Providers for the Provision of Oral Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to Adolescent Girls and Young Women (Agyw)
Factors driving pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake among students at six Gauteng province universities
Engagement of adolescent girls and young women into an early oral PrEP open-label study in Southern Africa
I Just Stopped Taking PrEP Without a Reason”
Health Behavior Change Models for HIV Prevention and Aids Care
The influence of HIV‐related stigma on PrEP disclosure and adherence among adolescent girls and young women in HPTN 082
An Ecological Perspective on Health Promotion Programs
Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (Coreq)
Stigma in the health clinic and implications for PrEP access and use by adolescent girls and young women
Preferences for Delivery of HIV Prevention Services Among Healthcare Users in South Africa
Delivering PrEP to Young Women in a Low-Income Setting in South Africa
The PrEP Journey
Exploring Perceived Barriers and Facilitators of PrEP Uptake among Young People in Uganda, Zimbabwe, and South Africa
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 5 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |