Provider perspectives on service delivery modifications to maintain access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis during the COVID-19 pandemic: qualitative results from a PrEP implementation project in Kenya.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an essential prevention strategy being scaled up for priority populations in Kenya, including for HIV serodiscordant couples. The COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges to PrEP rollout. We conducted a qualitative study of PrEP providers to understand how clinics adjusted PrEP delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Since 2017, the Partners Scale-Up Project has integrated PrEP into 25 HIV clinics in Central and Western Kenya. We conducted qualitative interviews with 40 purposively sampled clinic personnel. We interviewed personnel once during the first pandemic wave (May-Aug 2020) and again after some decline in COVID-19 rates (Nov-Jan 2021). We analysed data using inductive memo-writing and summarized data by themes alon

SUBMITTER: Velloza J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9899492 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature