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Witte SS, Filippone P, Ssewamala FM, Nabunya P, Bahar OS, Mayo-Wilson LJ, Namuwonge F, Damulira C, Tozan Y, Kiyingi J, Nabayinda J, Mwebembezi A, Kagaayi J, McKay M. PrEP acceptability and initiation among women engaged in sex work in Uganda: Implications for HIV prevention. EClinicalMedicine 2022; 44:101278. [PMID: 35128367 PMCID: PMC8808048 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women engaged in sex work (WESW) are disproportionately affected by HIV. In Uganda, HIV prevalence among WESW is estimated at 37%, accounting for 18% of all new infections in the country. WESW experience poverty, gender-based violence, and other issues that reduce their power and limit their ability to negotiate condom use. Female-controlled strategies, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), may afford women more transmission protection, but barriers to access and use persist. This cross-sectional study examined baseline PrEP acceptability and initiation among WESW recently enrolled in a randomized clinical trial in Uganda to test the impact of a combination HIV risk reduction and economic empowerment intervention on sexual risk outcomes (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03583541). METHODS A total of 542 WESW from 19 high HIV-prevalent geographical areas were enrolled in the Kyaterekera study between June 2019 and March 2020. Women were eligible for the study if they: (1) were age 18 or over; (2) reported engagement in transactional sex (a sex act in exchange for pay) in the past 30 days; and (3) reported engagement in one or more episodes of unprotected sex in the past 30 days. Women completed a baseline assessment, were tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at enrollment, and were connected with antiretroviral therapy (ART), STI treatment, or PrEP, based on need and interest. Descriptive statistics examined baseline data on PrEP acceptability and initiation. Independent variables (i.e. years in sex work, recent sexual coercion, perceived HIV and sex work stigmas, harmful alcohol use, barriers to medical care, and social support) were derived from the empirical literature and women's self-report. Bivariate analysis was performed to test associations between main effects of these variables. Using binomial logistic regression, predictive models were evaluated for two distinct outcomes-PrEP acceptability and PrEP initiation/uptake. FINDINGS At baseline, 59% of women (n = 322) tested HIV negative. Among WESW testing negative, 11% (n = 36) were already PrEP enrolled. Most women reported willingness to use PrEP (n = 317; 91%). Slightly over half of WESW not already on PrEP agreed to initiate PrEP (n = 158; 55%). Logistic regression models demonstrate that acceptability of or willingness to use PrEP was significantly associated with fewer years engaged in sex work (AOR= ·18, 95% CI 0·05-·66, p<·01) and greater perceived social support from family (AOR= 1·39, 95% CI 1·03 -1.88, p<·05). PrEP initiation was negatively associated with greater perceived social support from friends (AOR=·81, 95% CI ·68-0·97, p<·05) and positively associated with higher perceived stigma due to sex work among family members (AOR=2·20, 95% CI 1·15-4·22, p<·05). INTERPRETATION Despite endorsing PrEP use, many WESW remain reluctant to use it. This gap in prevention practice highlights the heart of a failing PrEP prevention cascade. Findings point to the important role family and friend support may play in destigmatizing sex work and PrEP use for women. Social and structural-level efforts are needed to improve educational messaging and to integrate positive messaging into health promotion campaigns for women and their families, while also working toward decriminalizing sex work. FUNDING This paper was made possible with funding from United States National Institute of Mental Health (Grant number: R01MH116768).
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan S. Witte
- Columbia University School of Social Work, 1255 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, United States
- Corresponding author.
| | - Prema Filippone
- Columbia University School of Social Work, 1255 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Fred M. Ssewamala
- International Center for Child Health and Development (ICHAD), Washington University in St. Louis Brown School, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
| | - Proscovia Nabunya
- International Center for Child Health and Development (ICHAD), Washington University in St. Louis Brown School, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
| | - Ozge Sensoy Bahar
- International Center for Child Health and Development (ICHAD), Washington University in St. Louis Brown School, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
| | - Larissa Jennings Mayo-Wilson
- Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University School of Public Health, 1025 E. 7TH Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
| | - Flavia Namuwonge
- International Center for Child Health and Development (ICHAD), Washington University in St. Louis Brown School, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
| | - Christopher Damulira
- International Center for Child Health and Development (ICHAD), Washington University in St. Louis Brown School, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
| | - Yesim Tozan
- New York University School of Global Public Health, 708 Broadway, 4rd floor, New York, NY 10003, United States
| | - Joshua Kiyingi
- International Center for Child Health and Development (ICHAD), Washington University in St. Louis Brown School, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
| | - Josephine Nabayinda
- International Center for Child Health and Development (ICHAD), Washington University in St. Louis Brown School, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
| | | | - Joseph Kagaayi
- Rakai Health Sciences Program, P.O Box 279, Kalisizo, Uganda
| | - Mary McKay
- International Center for Child Health and Development (ICHAD), Washington University in St. Louis Brown School, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
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Individual and community-level benefits of PrEP in western Kenya and South Africa: Implications for population prioritization of PrEP provision. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0244761. [PMID: 33382803 PMCID: PMC7775042 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective in preventing HIV and has the potential to significantly impact the HIV epidemic. Given limited resources for HIV prevention, identifying PrEP provision strategies that maximize impact is critical. Methods We used a stochastic individual-based network model to evaluate the direct (infections prevented among PrEP users) and indirect (infections prevented among non-PrEP users as a result of PrEP) benefits of PrEP, the person-years of PrEP required to prevent one HIV infection, and the community-level impact of providing PrEP to populations defined by gender and age in western Kenya and South Africa. We examined sensitivity of results to scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) by comparing two scenarios: maintaining current coverage (“status quo”) and rapid scale-up to meet programmatic targets (“fast-track”). Results The community-level impact of PrEP was greatest among women aged 15–24 due to high incidence, while PrEP use among men aged 15–24 yielded the highest proportion of indirect infections prevented in the community. These indirect infections prevented continue to increase over time (western Kenya: 0.4–5.5 (status quo); 0.4–4.9 (fast-track); South Africa: 0.5–1.8 (status quo); 0.5–3.0 (fast-track)) relative to direct infections prevented among PrEP users. The number of person-years of PrEP needed to prevent one HIV infection was lower (59 western Kenya and 69 in South Africa in the status quo scenario; 201 western Kenya and 87 in South Africa in the fast-track scenario) when PrEP was provided only to women compared with only to men over time horizons of up to 5 years, as the indirect benefits of providing PrEP to men accrue in later years. Conclusions Providing PrEP to women aged 15–24 prevents the greatest number of HIV infections per person-year of PrEP, but PrEP provision for young men also provides indirect benefits to women and to the community overall. This finding supports existing policies that prioritize PrEP use for young women, while also illuminating the community-level benefits of PrEP availability for men when resources permit.
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