Person-centred HIV care and prevention for youth in rural South Africa: preliminary implementation findings from Thetha Nami ngithethe nawe stepped-wedge trial of peer-navigator mobilization into mobile sexual health services.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Despite the efficacy of antiretroviral therapy (ART)-based prevention, population-level impact remains limited because those at high risk of HIV acquisition are not reached by conventional services. We investigated whether youth-centred and tailored HIV prevention, delivered by community-based peer navigators alongside sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, can mobilize demand for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and ART among adolescents and young adults (AYA) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Methods

Thetha Nami ngithethe nawe is a cluster-randomized stepped-wedge trial (SWT) in 40 clusters within a rural health and demographic surveillance site. Clusters were randomized to receive the intervention in period 1 (early) or period 2 (delayed). Trained ar

SUBMITTER: Busang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12505191 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature