Feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of integrating HIV prevention into an adolescent empowerment and livelihood intervention at youth clubs in rural Uganda

Bibliographic Data

ID19441799
AuthorsChester Christian (0000-0002-2502-8718, University of California, San Francisco, corresponding author), Jane Kabami (0000-0002-0265-3174, Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda), Dalsone Kwarisiima (0000-0003-2886-9261, Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda), Blian Beinamatsiko (Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda), Hellen Nakato (Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda), James Ward Khakshi (BRAC International, Kampala, Uganda), Munshi Sulaiman (0000-0001-6061-933X, BRAC International, Kampala, Uganda), Annah Komugisha (BRAC International, Kampala, Uganda), Harsha Thirumurthy (0000-0002-3308-7603, University of Pennsylvania), Diane V Havlir (0000-0003-0761-3136, University of California, San Francisco), Moses R Kamya (0000-0001-9106-4234, Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda), Gabriel Chamie (0000-0002-5860-8081, University of California, San Francisco)
Year2023
Volume35
Issue1
Pages41-47
Publication date2023-01-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAIDS Care (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0954-0121 • E-ISSN: 1360-0451
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09540121.2022.2147480
PMID36473203
OpenAlexW4311660511
LanguageEN
References cited16

The uptake of HIV prevention services is lower among youth than adults in sub-Saharan Africa. Existing youth livelihood trainings offer a potential entry point to HIV prevention services. We determined feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of integrating HIV prevention into youth clubs implementing an empowerment and livelihood for adolescents (ELA) intervention in rural Uganda. Staff conducted community mobilization for youth (15-24 years) over one month. Clubs met (3×/week) over six months, with local peer mentors trained to teach life-skills and sexual/reproductive health education. We integrated mentor-led education on HIV prevention, including pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP/PEP). Clubs offered on-site HIV testing, a field trip to a local clinic and PrEP referrals after one month and six months. Surveys were conducted at baseline and six months. Forty-two participants (24 adolescent girls/young women (AGYW) and 18 adolescent boys/young men (ABYM)) joined the clubs. At baseline, no participants accepted referral for PrEP, whereas 5/18 (28%) sexually active, HIV-negative AGYW requested PrEP referral at follow-up. One ABYM requested PEP referral. Integration of HIV prevention services into an established ELA curriculum at mentor-led youth clubs in rural Uganda was feasible. PrEP uptake increased among sexually active AGYW. Evaluation of this approach for HIV prevention among youth merits further study

Empowerment · Environmental health · Family medicine · Geography · Health education · Livelihood · Peer education · Political science · Population · Public health · Referral · Reproductive health · Youth empowerment · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Medicine · Nursing · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare

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