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Yamanis TNJ, Mulawa MI, Kilonzo MN, Maman S, Singh B, Kajula L. Reaching Out-of-school Adolescent Girls and Young Women at Risk for HIV Through Their Social Networks. AIDS Behav 2024; 28:1457-1468. [PMID: 37725236 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-04168-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Out-of-school adolescent girls/young women (AGYW) in Africa are at increased risk for HIV and are underserved by HIV prevention interventions. Identifying social networks of out-of-school AGYW may be a strategic approach for reaching them. A sequential mixed methods study design was used. The PLACE (Priorities for Local AIDS Control Efforts) methodology, implemented in one ward of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, identified 69 networks of AGYW. We randomly selected 28 networks and conducted surveys and network assessments with 80.9% (n = 310) of the members. On average, the networks consisted of 13.7 members, and had a density of 0.65 and a transitivity of 0.80, indicating high cohesion. The networks were mostly female (92%). On average, 67% of network membership were AGYW aged 15-24 years, of whom 70% were out-of-school and 67% were sexually active. Among sexually active AGYW aged 15-24, self-reported HIV seropositivity was 12.2%. We then conducted focus group discussions with 6 purposively selected networks. AGYW described their networks as sources of support and advice. Social norms supported AGYW engaging in transactional sex to alleviate life's hardships; it was the easiest way to earn income without "sweating". AGYW discussed IPV as a common experience, and social norms stigmatized AGYWs' use of condoms. AGYW were largely unaware of pre-exposure prophylaxis. The self-reported HIV prevalence rates of this cohort were higher than national averages, suggesting we tapped into high-risk networks. Social norms promoted transactional and unprotected sex. Social networks are an acceptable channel for HIV prevention intervention delivery to out-of-school AGYW.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thespina Nina J Yamanis
- School of International Service, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20016, United States of America.
| | - Marta I Mulawa
- School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Mrema Noel Kilonzo
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Suzanne Maman
- Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Lusajo Kajula
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Empathea Consulting, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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Gadeka DD, Akweongo P, Whyle E, Aryeetey GC, Aheto JM, Gilson L. Role of actor networks in primary health care implementation in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review. Glob Health Action 2023; 16:2206684. [PMID: 37133244 PMCID: PMC10158548 DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2023.2206684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary health care (PHC) improvement is often undermined by implementation gaps in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The influence that actor networks might have on the implementation has received little attention up to this point. OBJECTIVE This study sought to offer insights about actor networks and how they support PHC implementation in LMICs. METHODS We reviewed primary studies that utilised social network analysis (SNA) to determine actor networks and their influence on aspects of PHC in LMICs following the five-stage scoping review methodological framework by Arksey and O'Malley. Narrative synthesis was applied to describe the included studies and the results. RESULTS Thirteen primary studies were found eligible for this review. Ten network types were identified from the included papers across different contexts and actors: professional advice networks, peer networks, support/supervisory networks, friendship networks, referral networks, community health committee (CHC) networks, inter-sectoral collaboration networks, partnership networks, communications networks, and inter-organisational network. The networks were found to support PHC implementation at patient/household or community-level, health facility-level and multi-partner networks that work across levels. The study demonstrates that: (1) patient/household or community-level networks promote early health-seeking, continuity of care and inclusiveness by enabling network members (actors) the support that ensures access to PHC services, (2) health facility-level networks enable collaboration among PHC staff and also ensure the building of social capital that enhances accountability and access to community health services, and (3) multi-partner networks that work across levels promote implementation by facilitating information and resource sharing, high professional trust and effective communication among actors. CONCLUSION This body of literature reviewed suggests that, actor networks exist across different levels and that they make a difference in PHC implementation. Social Network Analysis may be a useful approach to health policy analysis (HPA) on implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic Dormenyo Gadeka
- Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, University of Ghana School of Public Health, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Patricia Akweongo
- Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, University of Ghana School of Public Health, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Eleanor Whyle
- Division of Health Policy and Systems, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Genevieve Cecilia Aryeetey
- Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, University of Ghana School of Public Health, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Justice Moses Aheto
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Ghana School of Public Health, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Lucy Gilson
- Division of Health Policy and Systems, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Tracy M, Chong LS, Strully K, Gordis E, Cerdá M, Marshall BDL. A Systematic Review of Systems Science Approaches to Understand and Address Domestic and Gender-Based Violence. JOURNAL OF FAMILY VIOLENCE 2023; 38:1-17. [PMID: 37358982 PMCID: PMC10213598 DOI: 10.1007/s10896-023-00578-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Purpose We aimed to synthesize insights from systems science approaches applied to domestic and gender-based violence. Methods We conducted a systematic review of systems science studies (systems thinking, group model-building, agent-based modeling [ABM], system dynamics [SD] modeling, social network analysis [SNA], and network analysis [NA]) applied to domestic or gender-based violence, including victimization, perpetration, prevention, and community responses. We used blinded review to identify papers meeting our inclusion criteria (i.e., peer-reviewed journal article or published book chapter that described a systems science approach to domestic or gender-based violence, broadly defined) and assessed the quality and transparency of each study. Results Our search yielded 1,841 studies, and 74 studies met our inclusion criteria (45 SNA, 12 NA, 8 ABM, and 3 SD). Although research aims varied across study types, the included studies highlighted social network influences on risks for domestic violence, clustering of risk factors and violence experiences, and potential targets for intervention. We assessed the quality of the included studies as moderate, though only a minority adhered to best practices in model development and dissemination, including stakeholder engagement and sharing of model code. Conclusions Systems science approaches for the study of domestic and gender-based violence have shed light on the complex processes that characterize domestic violence and its broader context. Future research in this area should include greater dialogue between different types of systems science approaches, consideration of peer and family influences in the same models, and expanded use of best practices, including continued engagement of community stakeholders. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10896-023-00578-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Tracy
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany School of Public Health, State University of New York, 1 University Place, GEC 133, Rensselaer, NY 12144 USA
| | - Li Shen Chong
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12222 USA
| | - Kate Strully
- Department of Sociology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12222 USA
| | - Elana Gordis
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12222 USA
| | - Magdalena Cerdá
- Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 180 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016 USA
| | - Brandon D. L. Marshall
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main St, Providence, RI 02912 USA
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Desrosiers A, Bond L, Hoffman M, Kumar P, Schafer C, Metzger IW, Vandi A, Hinton M, Betancourt TS. Exploring Naturalistic Diffusion of an Evidence-Based Mental Health Intervention across Peer Networks of Youth in Sierra Leone. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:4059. [PMID: 36901069 PMCID: PMC10002214 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20054059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the mechanisms by which evidence-based interventions (EBIs) for mental health are naturally diffused among youth in low-and middle-income countries-particularly those with histories of violence and civil unrest-can illuminate which intervention elements are most transferrable and inform scale-up decisions that support youth adjustment. This study explored the diffusion of an evidence-based mental health intervention-the Youth Readiness Intervention (YRI)-among peer networks of Sierra Leonean youth (aged 18-30) who participated in a trial of the intervention as integrated into youth entrepreneurship programs. METHODS Trained research assistants recruited index participants who had completed the YRI integrated within entrepreneurship training (N = 165) and control index participants (N = 165). Index participants nominated three of their closest peers. Nominated peers were recruited and enrolled in the current study (N = 289). A sub-sample of index participants and peers participated in dyadic interviews (N = 11) and focus group discussions (N = 16). Multivariate regression analysis compared YRI knowledge levels among YRI participants' peers relative to control participants' peers. RESULTS Qualitative findings supported the diffusion of several YRI skills and components across peer networks (i.e., progressive muscle relaxation and diaphragmatic breathing). Quantitative findings indicated that YRI knowledge was significantly higher for YRI participants' peers (β = 0.02, p < 0.00) compared to control participants' peers. CONCLUSION Findings suggest that diffusion of evidence-based intervention components can occur naturally among peers in post-conflict LMIC settings. Developing tools to promote the diffusion of the most transferrable EBI components across peer networks could help maximize the benefits of mental health interventions for youth adjustment and resilience in post-conflict settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alethea Desrosiers
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - Laura Bond
- School of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02496, USA
| | - Morgan Hoffman
- School of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02496, USA
| | - Praveen Kumar
- School of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02496, USA
| | - Carolyn Schafer
- Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Isha W. Metzger
- College of Arts and Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
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Velloza J, Davies LD, Ensminger AL, Theofelus FM, Andjamba H, Kamuingona R, Masseti G, Coomer R, Forster N, O’Malley G. Cycles of Violence Among Young Women in Namibia: Exploring the Links Between Childhood Violence and Adult Intimate Partner Violence From the Violence Against Children and Youth Survey. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2022; 37:NP22992-NP23014. [PMID: 35156448 PMCID: PMC9661872 DOI: 10.1177/08862605211073107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Background: Violence against children is a global public health crisis and is associated with poor mental and physical health outcomes. Childhood violence may also increase the risk of subsequent violence revictimization by an intimate partner. We aimed to understand cycles of violence among adolescent girls and young women in Namibia to inform violence prevention and treatment interventions. Methods: The 2019 Namibia Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS) examined the prevalence of childhood violence and intimate partner violence among 18-24 year old adolescent girls and young women (N = 2434). Using the data, we assessed the prevalence of childhood violence, defined as any physical, sexual, or emotional violence victimization prior to age 18, and estimated the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) after age 18. We used a weighted logistic regression to assess whether childhood violence exposure was associated with subsequent experience of IPV after age 18. Results: Adolescent girls and young women in Namibia had a statistically significant higher odds of experiencing IPV if they had experienced any childhood violence including physical, sexual, and/or emotional violence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.93; 95% Confidence Interval [95% CI: 1.64-5.23). IPV was also significantly associated with childhood physical (aOR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.07-3.05), sexual (aOR: 3.79; 95% CI: 2.54-5.67), or emotional (aOR: 2.39; 95% CI: 1.18-4.86) violence when each were considered separately. We also observed a dose-response relationship between the number of types of childhood violence and IPV experience as a young adult. Conclusions: Childhood violence is a significant predictor of subsequent violence revictimization by an intimate partner. This analysis provides unique insights on cycles of violence among adolescent girls and young women in Namibia and points to the need for interventions during childhood to prevent violence against children and break this cycle among young women in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Velloza
- University of Washington, Department of Global Health, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Luke D. Davies
- University of Washington, Department of Global Health, Seattle, WA, USA
- International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alison L. Ensminger
- University of Washington, Department of Global Health, Seattle, WA, USA
- International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Helena Andjamba
- Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Government of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Rahimisa Kamuingona
- Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Government of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Greta Masseti
- Division of Violence Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Rachel Coomer
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Norbert Forster
- University of Washington, Department of Global Health, Seattle, WA, USA
- International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), University of Washington, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Gabrielle O’Malley
- University of Washington, Department of Global Health, Seattle, WA, USA
- International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Ostermann J, Njau B, Masaki M, Mtuy T, Itemba D, Hobbie A, Yelverton V, Moore S, Yamanis T, Thielman NM. Feasibility, Acceptability, and Potential Cost-Effectiveness of a Novel Mobile Phone Intervention to Promote Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing Within Social Networks in Tanzania. Sex Transm Dis 2022; 49:778-781. [PMID: 35093981 PMCID: PMC9329485 DOI: 10.1097/olq.0000000000001611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Among 145 individuals surveyed in Tanzania, 42% indicated willingness to test for human immunodeficiency virus in response to a confidential, phone-based text message. On average, participants were likely to provide contact information for 1.5 members of their social networks, suggesting high feasibility and moderate acceptability of a novel mHealth human immunodeficiency virus testing intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bernard Njau
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania
| | - Martha Masaki
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania
| | | | | | - Amy Hobbie
- Center for Health Policy & Inequalities Research, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | | | - Spencer Moore
- Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Thespina Yamanis
- School of International Service, American University, Washington, DC
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Nxumalo V, Nxumalo S, Smit T, Khoza T, Mdaba F, Khumalo T, Cislaghi B, McGrath N, Seeley J, Shahmanesh M, Harling G. Protocol: Mapping social networks, social influence and sexual health among youth in rural KwaZulu-Natal, the Sixhumene cohort study. Wellcome Open Res 2022; 7:164. [PMID: 36324699 PMCID: PMC9608251 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17896.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Sexual behaviour and sexually transmitted infections are strongly affected by social connections, and interventions are often adapted more readily when diffused through social networks. However, evidence on how young people acquire ideas and change behaviour through the influence of important social contacts is not well understood in high-HIV-prevalence settings, with the result that past peer-led HIV-prevention interventions have had limited success. Methods: We therefore designed a cohort study (named Sixhumene or ‘we are connected’) to follow young people in three rural and small-town communities in uMkhanyakude district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and the people that these youth identify as important in their lives. We will interview them five times over three years, at each visit collecting information on their socioeconomic, social and sexual health lives, and testing them for HIV and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2). We will use this information to understand how these young people’s sexual health decisions are formed. This will include evaluating how poor sexual health outcomes are correlated across social networks, how youth mimic the attitudes and behaviours of those around them, who is at greatest risk of acquiring HIV and HSV-2, and who might be most influential within communities and thus best able to promote protective interventions. Discussion: The information gathered through this study will allow us to describe social connection and influence spread through these real-world social networks, and how this leads to sexual health outcomes. Sixhumene will provide vital inputs for mathematical models of communities and spreading processes, as well as inform the development of effective interventions to protect the sexual health of community members through appropriate targeting with optimised messaging requiring fewer resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vuyiswa Nxumalo
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | | | - Theresa Smit
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Thandeka Khoza
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Fikile Mdaba
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Thulile Khumalo
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Beniamino Cislaghi
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, UK
| | - Nuala McGrath
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Janet Seeley
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, UK
| | - Maryam Shahmanesh
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, WC1E 6JB, UK
| | - Guy Harling
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, 4041, South Africa
- MRC/Wits-Agincourt Unit, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2193, South Africa
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard Univeristy, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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Johnson MJ, Darbes LA, Hosegood V, Johnson MO, Fritz K, Ngubane T, van Rooyen H, McGrath N. Social Influence and Uptake of Couples HIV Testing and Counselling in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. AIDS Behav 2022; 26:764-774. [PMID: 34417920 PMCID: PMC8840905 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-021-03435-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Social influences may create a barrier to couples HIV testing and counselling (CHTC) uptake in sub-Saharan Africa. This secondary analysis of data collected in the 'Uthando Lwethu' randomised controlled trial used discrete-time survival models to evaluate the association between within-couple average 'peer support' score and uptake of CHTC by the end of nine months' follow-up. Peer support was conceptualised by self-rated strength of agreement with two statements describing friendships outside of the primary partnership. Eighty-eight couples (26.9%) took up CHTC. Results tended towards a dichotomous trend in models adjusted only for trial arm, with uptake significantly less likely amongst couples in the higher of four peer support score categories (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.18, 0.68 [7-10 points]; OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.28, 0.99 [≥ 11 points]). A similar trend remained in the final multivariable model, but was no longer significant (AOR 0.59, 95% CI 0.25, 1.42 [7-10 points]; AOR 0.88, 95% CI 0.36, 2.10 [≥ 11 points]). Accounting for social influences in the design of couples-focused interventions may increase their success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Johnson
- MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, Southampton General Hospital, University of Southampton, Mailpoint 95, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD UK
- NIHR ARC Wessex Data Science Hub, Faculty of Environmental & Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Lynae A. Darbes
- Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, Division of Prevention Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
- Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, Center for Sexuality and Health Disparities, University of Michigan School of Nursing, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Victoria Hosegood
- Department of Social Statistics and Demography, Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Mallory O. Johnson
- Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, Division of Prevention Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Katherine Fritz
- International Center for Research on Women, Washington, DC USA
| | | | - Heidi van Rooyen
- Human Sciences Research Council, Durban, South Africa
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nuala McGrath
- Department of Social Statistics and Demography, Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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Pullen E, Gupta A, Stockman JK, Green HD, Wagner KD. Association of social network characteristics with HIV knowledge, stigma, and testing: findings from a study of racial and ethnic minority women in a small Western city. AIDS Care 2022; 34:39-46. [PMID: 33856953 PMCID: PMC8517041 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2021.1913717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Black and Latina women are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS. Despite existing research linking social networks and HIV risk among men who have sex with men (MSM) and other high-risk populations, little research has examined how ethnic/racial minority women's social networks shape HIV prevention and intervention targets. Using interviews with a sample of 165 predominantly Black and Latina-identifying women from a small city in the Western U.S., this research examines the relationship between egocentric network characteristics and HIV knowledge, attitudes, and testing history. Results reveal that network characteristics play a significant role in shaping HIV-related knowledge, prejudice, and testing intention but not HIV testing history. Individual-level factors like homelessness and perceptions of testing barriers are more salient for explaining testing behaviors than network characteristics. Intervention efforts to improve knowledge and reduce prejudice among Black and Latina women may benefit from mobilizing network ties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Pullen
- Indiana University Network Science Institute (IUNI), Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
| | - Akrati Gupta
- Department of Health Administration, Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas
| | - Jamila K. Stockman
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Harold D. Green
- Department of Applied Health Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
| | - Karla D. Wagner
- School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada
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Outwater AH, Abraham AG, Iseselo MK, Sekei LH, Kazaura MR, Killewo J. Entrepreneurship, beekeeping, and health training to decrease community violence in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: a pilot study for an intervention trial. Pilot Feasibility Stud 2021; 7:183. [PMID: 34607608 PMCID: PMC8489054 DOI: 10.1186/s40814-021-00920-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background High unemployment rates and limited access to resources, services, and economic opportunities are associated with many types of violence. In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, most violence is experienced by unemployed, poorly educated men between the ages of 20 and 35 years. It is expected that community violence will decrease as the incomes of those most at risk increase. However, economic opportunity through formal employment is rarely available to uneducated men in Dar es Salaam. Giving them access to economic independence through entrepreneurship training is therefore supported by the World Bank and the government of Tanzania. There has been little research on the effectiveness of programs to encourage entrepreneurship. Methods To evaluate the feasibility of providing entrepreneurial training programs to young men in Dar es Salaam, especially those without formal employment, a pretest-posttest pilot study was conducted drawing a sample of young men from neighborhood camps called vijiweni. There were four interventions, each implemented in a single camp: Health/Control, Entrepreneurship + Health, Beekeeping + Health, and Entrepreneurship + Beekeeping + Health. The four camps received 2, 6, 6, and 10 training sessions, respectively. No start-up capital was provided. The participants were interviewed at baseline and 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after the sessions were completed. Data were collected on demographics, household assets, experience of violence, and income. Results Fifty-seven respondents attended the first session. At baseline, the camps were not meaningfully different from one another in educational attainment, number of dependents, daily income, assets, or individual members’ roles as victims, perpetrators, or witnesses of violence. Differences were found in age, occupation, and weekly income. Over a period of 2.25 years (from baseline to the end of the project), the weekly income of the Health/Control camp, which had been earning the most, decreased by 37% in a reflection of worsening economic conditions at the time. All three intervention camps increased their income: Beekeeping by 43%, All by 50%, and Entrepreneurship by 146%, with the latter almost reaching the minimum wage level. The most persistently reported constraint was insufficient start-up capital. Conclusions The feasibility and potential effectiveness of a short training program on entrepreneurship skills for unemployed, poorly educated young men in urban Tanzania were demonstrated in this study. It has set the stage for an intervention trial to test an updated hypothesis: A 5–7-day intervention about entrepreneurship and microfinance savings groups will lead to increased income and decreased violence. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.govNCT 04602416. Registered on 24 October 2020. Retrospectively registered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne H Outwater
- Department of Community Health Nursing, School of Nursing, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania.
| | - Alison G Abraham
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Masunga K Iseselo
- Department of Clinical Nursing, School of Nursing, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | | | - Method R Kazaura
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Social Sciences, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Japheth Killewo
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Social Sciences, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
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Tsai AC, Kakuhikire B, Perkins JM, Downey JM, Baguma C, Satinsky EN, Gumisiriza P, Kananura J, Bangsberg DR. Normative vs personal attitudes toward persons with HIV, and the mediating role of perceived HIV stigma in rural Uganda. J Glob Health 2021; 11:04956. [PMID: 34552725 PMCID: PMC8442577 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.11.04056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background HIV stigma has well-documented negative impacts on HIV testing, transmission risk behavior, initiation of and adherence to antiretroviral therapy, and retention in care. We sought to assess the extent to which anticipated HIV stigma is based on misperceptions of normative attitudes toward persons with HIV, and to determine whether persons with HIV have stronger misperceptions compared with HIV-negative persons or persons of unknown serostatus. We also sought to estimate the association between normative attitudes about persons with HIV and personal attitudes about persons with HIV, and to determine the extent to which anticipated stigma mediates this association. Methods We conducted a whole-population survey of 1776 persons living in 8 rural villages in southwestern Uganda. Negative attitudes toward persons with HIV, and anticipated stigma, were measured using a newly validated 15-item scale measuring multiple dimensions of HIV stigma, including social distance, blaming attitudes, and concerns about reciprocity. We used multivariable regression to estimate the association between normative attitudes about persons with HIV and personal attitudes toward persons with HIV, and to determine the extent to which perceptions of normative attitudes (anticipated stigma) mediated this association. Results Study participants believed that negative attitudes toward persons with HIV were more pervasive than they actually are. Perceptions of the extent to which these negative attitudes are normative mediated more than one-third of the association between normative attitudes and their personal attitudes. In contrast to what we originally hypothesized, persons with HIV were less likely to misperceive these norms and perceived normative attitudes to be less stigmatizing than did others in the general population. Conclusions Interventions designed to accurately describe normative attitudes toward persons with HIV may reduce HIV stigma without directly focusing on the educational components that are typically embedded in anti-stigma interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander C Tsai
- Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Mongan Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | | | - Charles Baguma
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Emily N Satinsky
- Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Justus Kananura
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - David R Bangsberg
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda.,Oregon Health Sciences University-Portland State University School of Public Health, Portland, Oregon, USA
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12
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Social isolation among HIV-positive persons might be an important barrier to care. Using data from the SEARCH Study in rural Kenya and Uganda, we constructed 32 community-wide, sociocentric networks and evaluated whether less socially connected HIV-positive persons were less likely to know their status, have initiated treatment, and be virally suppressed. METHODS Between 2013 and 2014, 168,720 adult residents in the SEARCH Study were census-enumerated, offered HIV testing, and asked to name social contacts. Social networks were constructed by matching named contacts to other residents. We characterized the resulting networks and estimated risk ratios (aRR) associated with poor HIV care outcomes, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and clustering by community with generalized estimating equations. RESULTS The sociocentric networks contained 170,028 residents (nodes) and 362,965 social connections (edges). Among 11,239 HIV-positive persons who named ≥1 contact, 30.9% were previously undiagnosed, 43.7% had not initiated treatment, and 49.4% had viral nonsuppression. Lower social connectedness, measured by the number of persons naming an HIV-positive individual as a contact (in-degree), was associated with poorer outcomes in Uganda, but not Kenya. Specifically, HIV-positive persons in the lowest connectedness tercile were less likely to be previously diagnosed (Uganda-West aRR: 0.89 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.83, 0.96]; Uganda-East aRR: 0.85 [95% CI: 0.76, 0.96]); on treatment (Uganda-West aRR: 0.88 [95% CI: 0.80, 0.98]; Uganda-East aRR: 0.81 [0.72, 0.92]), and suppressed (Uganda-West aRR: 0.84 [95% CI: 0.73, 0.96]; Uganda-East aRR: 0.74 [95% CI: 0.58, 0.94]) than those in the highest connectedness tercile. CONCLUSIONS HIV-positive persons named as a contact by fewer people may be at higher risk for poor HIV care outcomes, suggesting opportunities for targeted interventions.
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Gou H, Liu H, Wang Y, Li X, Feldman MW. Migration, Social Networks, and HIV Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Involuntary Bachelors in Rural China. AIDS Behav 2021; 25:875-885. [PMID: 32990878 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-020-03052-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
In rural China there is an abnormally high male-biased sex ratio. The result is a large number of involuntary bachelors. This study examines how migration and social networks relate to bachelors' sexual risk behaviors. Data are from a cross-sectional questionnaire survey in which 740 male respondents who had rural household registration, had never married, and were aged 28 or older were interviewed in 2017. Logistic regression reveals that both migration and social networks place the bachelors at an especially high risk of HIV transmission by increasing the chance that they engage in commercial sex, whereas only social networks are significantly associated with sexual partnership concurrency. Additionally, social networks mediate the association between migration and commercial sex. This suggests that social networks play an important role in bachelors' risk of HIV transmission and that further intervention should address their social networks.
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14
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Cassels S, Mwenda KM, Biney AAE, Jenness SM. Is It the Timing? Short-Term Mobility and Coital Frequency in Agbogbloshie, Ghana. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2021; 50:589-600. [PMID: 32989638 PMCID: PMC7889649 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-020-01815-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Short-term mobility is often associated with increased sexual risk behavior. Mobile individuals often have higher rates of sexual risk behavior compared to non-mobile individuals, but the reasons why are not clear. Using monthly retrospective panel data from 202 men and 282 women in Agbogbloshie, Ghana, we tested whether short-term mobility was associated with changes in coital frequency, and whether the association was due to the act of travel in the given month (e.g., enabling higher risk behavior), the reason for travel, or an individual's travel propensity at other times in the year. Overnight travel specifically to visit family or friends, or for education, health, or other reasons, was associated with increased coital frequency for men. However, men with higher travel propensities had lower overall coital frequency and the act of traveling enabled more sex only for the most frequent male travelers. Men who seldom traveled had much higher coital frequency, but the act of traveling was not associated with additional sex acts. For women, travel for education, health, or other reasons increased coital frequency. Occasional female travelers had slightly more sex acts compared to non-mobile women, and the act of traveling for these women was associated with slight increases in coital frequency, supporting the enabling hypothesis. Highly mobile women had fewer sex acts per month on average. Our findings suggest that mobility characteristics measured on a broad temporal scale, as well as the reason for mobility, are important to understand the relationship between short-term mobility and sexual behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Cassels
- Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-4060, USA.
| | - Kevin M Mwenda
- Spatial Structures in the Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Adriana A E Biney
- Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Samuel M Jenness
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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15
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de Vries DH, Bruggeman J, Benoni TE, Rwemisisi JT, Kashaija LM, Muhangi D, Kaawa-Mafigiri D, Pool R. Social networks for health communication in rural Uganda: A mixed-method analysis of Dekabusa Trading Centre, Luwero County. Glob Public Health 2020; 15:1674-1688. [PMID: 32493119 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2020.1775870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
To reach the most vulnerable individuals in under-resourced countries, health communication interventions increasingly move towards the community level. However, little is known about how health information spreads through local social networks. This paper maps the health information network of a rural trading centre in Uganda. As part of a five-year ethnographic study of sustainable community health resources, ego networks were obtained for 231 village residents in March 2014. Using both ethnographic and social network data, we analyze how the village social network is structured, and how this structure may influence the transmission of health information. Results show a network with low average proximity, with a small number of individuals, notably key administrative officials, much closer connected to many other community members than average. However, because of social partitioning in the village network, a number of people are outside the social clusters in which the top influencers are located.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel H de Vries
- Department of Anthropology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Bruggeman
- Department of Sociology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Turinawe E Benoni
- Department of Social Work & Social Administration, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Jude T Rwemisisi
- Uganda Management Institute, Institute Research Centre, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Laban M Kashaija
- Department of Social Work & Social Administration, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Denis Muhangi
- Department of Social Work & Social Administration, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - David Kaawa-Mafigiri
- Department of Social Work & Social Administration, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Robert Pool
- Department of Anthropology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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16
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Maman S, Mulawa MI, Balvanz P, McNaughton Reyes HL, Kilonzo MN, Yamanis TJ, Singh B, Kajula LJ. Results from a cluster-randomized trial to evaluate a microfinance and peer health leadership intervention to prevent HIV and intimate partner violence among social networks of Tanzanian men. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230371. [PMID: 32196514 PMCID: PMC7083321 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite calls to engage men in HIV and intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention efforts, effective approaches to reach and engage men in low-resource, high-HIV prevalence settings are limited. We identified and engaged social networks of mostly young men in a study designed to evaluate the efficacy of a combined microfinance and peer health leadership intervention to prevent HIV and IPV. We conducted a cluster-randomized trial among 60 social networks locally referred to as "camps" within Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Camps were randomly assigned (1:1) to a microfinance and peer health leadership intervention or a control condition that received a brief delayed intervention after the study's conclusion. Allocation was not masked to participants or researchers. Behavioral assessments were conducted at baseline and 30-months post-intervention launch, with biological samples drawn at 30-months to test for sexually-transmitted infections (STIs). Primary outcomes included prevalence of STIs and past-year IPV perpetration. Secondary outcomes included STI sexual risk behaviors and past-year HIV testing. Proximal intervention targets included inequitable gender norm attitudes and hope. A modified Poisson regression approach was used to estimate intention-to-treat intervention effects on outcomes assessed at the 30-month follow-up. We enrolled 1,258 men within 60 camps. Of these men, 1,029 (81.8%) completed the 30-month follow-up. There were no differences by condition in STI prevalence, IPV perpetration, or sexual risk behaviors at the 30-month follow-up. Intervention participants reported greater levels of past-year HIV testing, controlling for baseline testing (aRR 1.13 95% CI 1.005-1.28). They also reported significantly lower levels of inequitable gender norm attitudes (adjusted effect -0.11, 95% CI -0.21-0.003). We successfully engaged and retained social networks of men in this multilevel intervention study. While we did not see an effect on the primary outcomes, our intervention successfully improved HIV testing and reduced inequitable gender norm attitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Maman
- Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Marta I. Mulawa
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Peter Balvanz
- Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - H. Luz McNaughton Reyes
- Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Mrema N. Kilonzo
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Thespina J. Yamanis
- School of International Service, American University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Basant Singh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States of America
| | - Lusajo J. Kajula
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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17
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Brown LB, Balzer LB, Kabami J, Kwarisiima D, Sang N, Ayieko J, Chen Y, Chamie G, Charlebois ED, Camlin CS, Cohen CR, Bukusi E, Kamya MR, Moody J, Havlir DV, Petersen ML. The Influence of Social Networks on Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation Among HIV-Infected Antiretroviral Therapy-Naive Youth in Rural Kenya and Uganda. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2020; 83:9-15. [PMID: 31809357 PMCID: PMC7793612 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000002199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV-infected youth in sub-Saharan Africa are less likely to initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART) than older adults. SETTING AND METHODS Adult (≥15 years) residents enumerated during a census in 32 communities in rural Kenya and Uganda named social contacts in 5 domains: health, money, emotional support, food, and free time. Named contacts were matched to other enumerated residents to build social networks among 150,395 adults; 90% were tested for HIV at baseline. Among youth (15-24 years) who were ART naive at baseline (2013-2014), we evaluated whether having ≥1 network contact who was HIV infected predicted ART initiation within 3 years and modification of this association by age and strength of contact, using logistic regression with robust standard errors. RESULTS Among 1120 HIV-infected youth who were ART naive at baseline, 805 remained alive and community residents after 3 years. Of these, 270 (33.5%) named at least one baseline HIV-infected contact; 70% (569/805) subsequently initiated ART. Youth with ≥1 HIV-infected same-age baseline contact were more likely to initiate ART [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 2.95; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.49 to 5.86] than those with no HIV-infected contact, particularly if the contact was a strong tie (named in >1 domain; aOR, 5.33; 95% CI: 3.34 to 8.52). When nonhousehold contacts were excluded, having an HIV-infected same age contact who was a strong tie remained associated with ART initiation (aOR, 2.81; 95% CI: 1.76 to 4.49). CONCLUSIONS Interventions that increase and strengthen existing social connections to other HIV-infected peers at the time of HIV diagnosis may increase ART initiation among HIV-infected youth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jane Kabami
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Norton Sang
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | | | | | - Gabriel Chamie
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | | | - Carol S Camlin
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Craig R Cohen
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | | | - Moses R Kamya
- School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Diane V Havlir
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
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18
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Harling G, Tsai AC. Using Social Networks to Understand and Overcome Implementation Barriers in the Global HIV Response. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2019; 82 Suppl 3:S244-S252. [PMID: 31764260 PMCID: PMC6923140 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000002203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the development of several efficacious HIV prevention and treatment methods in the past 2 decades, HIV continues to spread globally. Uptake of interventions is nonrandomly distributed across populations. Such inequality is socially patterned and reinforced by homophily arising from both social selection (becoming friends with similar people) and influence (becoming similar to friends). METHODS We conducted a narrative review to describe how social network analysis methods-including egocentric, sociocentric, and respondent-driven sampling designs-provide tools to measure key populations, to understand how epidemics spread, and to evaluate intervention take-up. RESULTS Social network analysis-informed designs can improve intervention effectiveness by reaching otherwise inaccessible populations. They can also improve intervention efficiency by maximizing spillovers, through social ties, to at-risk but susceptible individuals. Social network analysis-informed designs thus have the potential to be both more effective and less unequal in their effects, compared with social network analysis-naïve approaches. Although social network analysis-informed designs are often resource-intensive, we believe they provide unique insights that can help reach those most in need of HIV prevention and treatment interventions. CONCLUSION Increased collection of social network data during both research and implementation work would provide important information to improve the roll-out of existing studies in the present and to inform the design of more data-efficient, social network analysis-informed interventions in the future. Doing so will improve the reach of interventions, especially to key populations, and to maximize intervention impact once delivered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Harling
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Department of Epidemiology and Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge MA, United States
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health & Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Alexander C. Tsai
- Department of Epidemiology and Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge MA, United States
- Chester M. Pierce, MD Division of Global Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA United States
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
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19
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Mulawa MI, Reyes HLM, Foshee VA, Halpern CT, Martin SL, Kajula LJ, Maman S. Associations Between Peer Network Gender Norms and the Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence Among Urban Tanzanian Men: a Multilevel Analysis. PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2019; 19:427-436. [PMID: 28849338 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-017-0835-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Male perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women in sub-Saharan Africa is widespread. Theory and empirical evidence suggest peer networks may play an important role in shaping IPV perpetration, though research on this topic in the region is limited. We assessed the degree to which peer network gender norms are associated with Tanzanian men's perpetration of IPV and examined whether the social cohesion of peer networks moderates this relationship. Using baseline data from sexually active men (n = 1103) nested within 59 peer networks enrolled in an on-going cluster-randomized HIV and IPV prevention trial, we fit multilevel logistic regression models to examine peer network-level factors associated with past-year physical IPV perpetration. Peer network gender norms were significantly associated with men's risk of perpetrating IPV, even after adjusting for their own attitudes toward gender roles (OR = 1.53 , p = . 04). Peer network social cohesion moderated this relationship (OR = 1.50 , p = . 04); the positive relationship between increasingly inequitable (i.e., traditional) peer network gender norms and men's risk of perpetrating IPV became stronger, as peer network social cohesion increased. Characteristics of the peer network context are associated with men's IPV perpetration and should be targeted in future interventions. While many IPV prevention interventions focus on changing individual attitudes, our findings support a unique approach, focused on transforming the peer context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta I Mulawa
- Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. .,Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - H Luz McNaughton Reyes
- Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Vangie A Foshee
- Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Carolyn T Halpern
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sandra L Martin
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Lusajo J Kajula
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Suzanne Maman
- Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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20
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Fearon E, Wiggins RD, Pettifor AE, MacPhail C, Kahn K, Selin A, Gómez-Olivé FX, Hargreaves JR. Friendships Among Young South African Women, Sexual Behaviours and Connections to Sexual Partners (HPTN 068). AIDS Behav 2019; 23:1471-1483. [PMID: 30684099 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-019-02406-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Friends could be influential on young women's sexual health via influences on sexual behaviours and as connections to sexual partners, but are understudied in sub-Saharan Africa. We cross-sectionally surveyed 2326 13-20 year-old young women eligible for grades 8-11 in rural South Africa about their sexual behaviour and up to three sexual partners. Participants each described five specific but unidentified friends and the relationships between them in an 'egocentric' network analysis design. We used logistic regression to investigate associations between friendship characteristics and participants' reports of ever having had sex (n = 2326) and recent condom use (n = 457). We used linear regression with random effects by participant to investigate friendship characteristics and age differences with sexual partners (n = 633 participants, 1051 partners). We found that it was common for friends to introduce young women to those who later became sexual partners, and having older friends was associated with having older sexual partners, (increase of 0.37 years per friend at least 1 year older, 95% CI 0.21-0.52, adjusted). Young women were more likely to report ever having had sex when more friends were perceived to be sexually active (adjusted OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.72-2.01 per friend) and when they discussed sex, condoms and HIV with friends. Perception of friends' condom use was not associated with participants' reported condom use. While this study is preliminary and unique in this population and further research should be conducted, social connections between friends and sexual partners and perceptions of friend sexual behaviours could be considered in the design of sexual health interventions for young women in South Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Fearon
- Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9 SH, UK.
| | - Richard D Wiggins
- Department of Social Science, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK
| | - Audrey E Pettifor
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
- Wits Reproductive Health Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Catherine MacPhail
- Wits Reproductive Health Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Medical Research Council/Wits University Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Kathleen Kahn
- Medical Research Council/Wits University Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Centre for Global Health Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- INDEPTH Network, Accra, Ghana
| | - Amanda Selin
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - F Xavier Gómez-Olivé
- Medical Research Council/Wits University Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- INDEPTH Network, Accra, Ghana
| | - James R Hargreaves
- Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9 SH, UK
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21
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Sheehan DM, Miller RP, Trepka MJ, Smith LR, Latkin C. Role of Social Network Sexual Norms and Behaviors on the HIV Sexual Risk Behaviors of People Who Inject Drugs in HPTN 037. AIDS Behav 2019; 23:1604-1611. [PMID: 30826975 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-019-02409-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the effect of social network descriptive sexual norms and behaviors on the sexual behaviors of people who inject drugs (PWID). Data from HPTN037 of 232 PWID (egos) and 464 network members (alters) were used in multilevel multivariate logistic regression models. Egos whose alters reported multiple sex partners had greater odds of multiple sex partners (aOR 2.20, 1.13-4.29). Egos' norms of condomless sex with primary (aOR 2.67, 1.15-6.17) and casual (aOR 2.38, 1.01-5.59) partners and egos' norms of giving (aOR 5.52, 1.87-16.25) and receiving (aOR 7.38, 1.34-40.66) money/drugs for sex were associated with the egos' respective behaviors. History of sex between an ego and alter was not associated with increased influence of alters' norms and behaviors on egos' sexual behavior. Findings provide support for developing interventions that target descriptive norms and selective network behavioral characteristics to decrease sexual HIV risk behavior among PWID.
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22
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The social network context of HIV stigma: Population-based, sociocentric network study in rural Uganda. Soc Sci Med 2019; 233:229-236. [PMID: 31229909 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE HIV-related stigma profoundly affects the physical and social wellbeing of people living with HIV, as well as the community's engagement with testing, treatment, and prevention. Based on theories of stigma elaborating how it arises from the relationships between the stigmatized and the stigmatizer as well as within the general community, we hypothesized that social networks can shape HIV-related stigma. OBJECTIVE To estimate social network correlates of HIV-related stigma. METHODS During 2011-2012, we collected complete social network data from a community of 1669 adults ("egos") in Mbarara, Uganda using six culturally-adapted name generators to elicit different types of social ties ("alters"). We measured HIV-related stigma using the 9-item AIDS-Related Stigma Scale. HIV serostatus was based on self-report. We fitted linear regression models that account for network autocorrelation to estimate the association between egos' HIV-related stigma, alters' HIV-related stigma and alters' self-reported HIV serostatus, while adjusting for egos' HIV serostatus, network centrality, village size, perceived HIV prevalence, and sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS The average AIDS-Related Stigma Score was 0.79 (Standard Deviation = 0.50). In the population 116 (7%) egos reported being HIV-positive, and 757 (46%) reported an HIV-positive alter. In the multivariable model, we found that egos' own HIV-related stigma was positively correlated with their alters' average stigma score (b=0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42-0.63) and negatively correlated with having one or more HIV-positive alters (b=-0.05; 95% CI -0.10 to -0.003). CONCLUSION Stigma-reduction interventions should be targeted not only at the level of the individual but also at the level of the network. Directed and meaningful contact with people living with HIV may also reduce HIV-related stigma.
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Kenyon CR, Buyze J, Schwartz IS. Strong association between higher-risk sex and HIV prevalence at the regional level: an ecological study of 27 sub-Saharan African countries. F1000Res 2018; 7:1879. [PMID: 30800288 PMCID: PMC6367661 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.17108.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: It is unclear why HIV prevalence varies by nearly two orders of magnitude between regions within countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In this ecological study, we assess if HIV prevalence by region is associated with any of four markers of higher risk sexual behavior: lifetime number of partners, multiple partners in past year, higher risk sex (defined as sex with non-cohabiting, non-marital partners) and age at debut. Methods: We performed Pearson's correlation between the 4 behavioral risk factors and HIV prevalence by region in 47 nationally representative surveys from 27 sub-Saharan African countries, separately by gender. In addition, principal components analysis was used to reduce the eight risk factors (four for each gender) to two principal components (PCs). Mixed effects linear regression was used to assess the relationship between the resulting two PCs and HIV prevalence after controlling for the prevalence of male circumcision. Results: HIV prevalence varied by a median 3.7 fold (IQR 2.9-7.9) between regions within countries. HIV prevalence was strongly associated with higher risk sex and, to a lesser extent, the other risk factors evaluated. Both PCs were strongly associated with HIV prevalence when assessed via linear regression. Conclusions: Differences in sexual behavior may underpin the large differences in HIV-prevalence between subpopulation within sub-Saharan African countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris R Kenyon
- Clinical Science, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, 2000, Belgium
| | - Jozefien Buyze
- Clinical Science, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, 2000, Belgium
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Conserve DF, Bay C, Kilonzo MN, Makyao NE, Kajula L, Maman S. Sexual and Social Network Correlates of Willingness to Self-Test for HIV Among Ever-Tested and Never-Tested Men: Implications for the Tanzania STEP Project. AIDS Care 2018; 31:169-176. [PMID: 30362377 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2018.1537466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
We examined factors associated with HIV self-testing (HIVST) willingness among male ever-testers and never-testers who participated in a midpoint survey of a cluster randomized controlled HIV prevention trial in Dar es Salaam. Linear mixed binary logistic regression models were constructed to examine factors (demographic, HIV risk behavior, and sexual/social network) associated with willingness to self-test. Sixtyseven percent of 301 never-testers were willing to self-test for HIV compared to 72% 577 of ever-testers. Among never-testers, having discussed testing for HIV with a sexual partner was the only factor associated with HIVST willingness (2.36, 95% CI: 1.35-4.15). For evertesters, younger men were less willing to self-test than older men while men with higher education were more willing to self-test than less educated men. Having a moderate/great HIV risk perception decreased the odds of HIVST willingness relative to no risk perception (0.40, 95% CI 0.23-0.70) for ever-testers. Discussing HIV testing with a sexual partner and having been encouraged to test for HIV by a friend were associated with higher odds of being willing to self-test (2.22, 2.23; 95% CI 1.34-3.67, 1.14-4.39, respectively) among ever-testers. These findings suggest that HIVST willingness is highly acceptable among both male ever-testers and never-testers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donaldson F Conserve
- a Arnold School of Public Health, Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior , University of South Carolina , Columbia , SC , USA
| | - Camden Bay
- b Center for AIDS Research , University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill , NC , USA
| | - Mrema N Kilonzo
- c Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health , Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences , Dar es Salaam , Tanzania
| | - Neema E Makyao
- d National AIDS Control Programme , Dar es Salaam , Tanzania
| | - Lusajo Kajula
- c Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health , Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences , Dar es Salaam , Tanzania
| | - Suzanne Maman
- e Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Health Behavior , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill , NC , USA
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Safe sex norm questionnaire for female sex workers: development and validation study in Iran. Public Health 2018; 164:82-90. [PMID: 30218915 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2018.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a safe sex norm questionnaire as an appropriate instrument which would be adaptable to the female sex worker (FSW) population. STUDY DESIGN A mixed method study. METHODS Appropriate content was prepared through a literature review. Content validation indices were assessed using interviews with content experts and lay experts. A conservative approach was used to assess the inter-rater agreement among the participants about the instrument relevance and clarity. The scale content validity index was computed using the average method. Non-parametric Mokken scale analysis was used for assessing scalability and unidimensionality of the questionnaire in a sample of 170 FSWs in Tehran. To evaluate the reliability and internal consistency of the questionnaire intra-class correlation and Cronbach's alpha were employed. RESULTS A list of 34 items was finalized, with subscales for actual behavioral norms and for perceived norms. The relevance of the actual and perceived norms subscales in the final questionnaire was higher than 96%; clarity of the subtests was 99% and higher. The comprehensiveness of the actual and perceived norms subscales was 85% for both. Mokken scale analysis showed that the two subscales were distinct constructs, and all items are good indicators for the constructs. CONCLUSION Our findings support that the safe sex norm questionnaire is a valid and reliable measure that would be useful to harm reduction programs and help effective HIV prevention among female sex workers.
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Balvanz P, Yamanis TJ, Mulawa MI, Mwikoko G, Kajuna D, Kilonzo MN, Kajula LJ, Leatherman S, Maman S. Microfinance and health interventions: Factors influencing loan repayment success with young men in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Glob Public Health 2018; 14:254-270. [PMID: 30025502 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2018.1501079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Poverty is associated with numerous poor health outcomes. Youth unemployment in Tanzania is approximately 13.7%, and concentrates in urban areas. These youth lack relevant job skills and access to financial capital. Microfinance continues to be implemented globally to address poverty, and increasingly has been linked to health interventions. Men less frequently are recipients of microfinance loans. We offered microcredit to young men in an area of Dar es Salaam with high poverty as part of a randomised controlled-trial to assess the efficacy of a microfinance and health leadership intervention in preventing STI acquisition. We used mixed methods to understand predictors of successful loan repayment. Our qualitative sub-study showed that leader influence, prior business experience, personal motivation, and planning facilitated repayment. Using a modified Poisson approach, our quantitative analysis showed that successful repayment was associated with business experience, education, increasing number of children, community of residence, percentage of network members trained in business, and repayment success of peer leaders. Our results suggest that enforcing group accountability and repayment rules, offering ongoing training, and using successful entrepreneurs as role models could increase repayment success in similar populations. These strategies could provide financial opportunity for men while minimising risk for microfinance institutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Balvanz
- Department of Health Behavior, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Thespina J Yamanis
- School of International Service, American University, Washington DC, USA
| | - Marta I Mulawa
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Gema Mwikoko
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Deusdith Kajuna
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Mrema N Kilonzo
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Lusajo J Kajula
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Sheila Leatherman
- Department of Health Policy and Management, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Suzanne Maman
- Department of Health Behavior, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Conserve DF, Alemu D, Yamanis T, Maman S, Kajula L. "He Told Me to Check My Health": A Qualitative Exploration of Social Network Influence on Men's HIV Testing Behavior and HIV Self-Testing Willingness in Tanzania. Am J Mens Health 2018; 12:1185-1196. [PMID: 29808781 PMCID: PMC6142152 DOI: 10.1177/1557988318777674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Men continue to test for HIV at a low rate in sub-Saharan Africa. Recent quantitative evidence from sub-Saharan Africa indicates that encouragement to test for HIV from men’s network members is associated with higher previous HIV testing and HIV self-testing (HIVST) willingness. Leveraging this positive network influence to promote HIVST among men is a promising strategy that could increase HIV testing. This study investigated the reasons and strategies men used to encourage their peers to test for HIV and the outcomes in order to inform the development of a social network-based HIVST intervention for men called STEP (Self-Testing Education and Promotion). Twenty-three men from networks locally referred to as “camps” were interviewed to explore reasons for encouraging HIV testing, strategies to encourage HIV testing, and outcomes of HIV testing encouragement. Reasons men reported for encouraging their peers to test for HIV included awareness of their peers’ risky sexual behavior, knowing an HIV-positive peer, and having HIV testing experience. Strategies for encouraging testing included engaging in formal and informal conversations and accompanying friends to the clinic. Encouragement outcomes included HIV testing for some men while others remained untested due to lack of privacy in the clinic and fear of HIV stigma. Willingness to self-test for HIV and an interest to educate peers about HIVST were other outcomes of HIV testing encouragement. These findings underscore the potential of leveraging men’s existing HIV testing encouragement strategies to promote HIVST among their peers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donaldson F Conserve
- 1 Arnold School of Public Health, Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Dawit Alemu
- 1 Arnold School of Public Health, Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Thespina Yamanis
- 2 School of International Service, American University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Suzanne Maman
- 3 Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Lusajo Kajula
- 4 Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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Kenyon CR, Wolfs K, Osbak K, van Lankveld J, Van Hal G. Implicit attitudes to sexual partner concurrency vary by sexual orientation but not by gender-A cross sectional study of Belgian students. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196821. [PMID: 29738541 PMCID: PMC5940213 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
High rates of sexual partner concurrency have been shown to facilitate the spread of various sexually transmitted infections. Assessments of explicit attitudes to concurrency have however found little difference between populations. Implicit attitudes to concurrency may vary between populations and play a role in generating differences in the prevalence of concurrency. We developed a concurrency implicit associations test (C-IAT) to assess if implicit attitudes towards concurrency may vary between individuals and populations and what the correlates of these variations are. A sample of 869 Belgian students (mean age 23, SD 5.1) completed an online version of the C-IAT together with a questionnaire concerning sexual behavior and explicit attitudes to concurrency. The study participants C-IATs demonstrated a strong preference for monogamy (-0.78, SD = 0.41). 93.2% of participants had a pro-monogamy C-IAT. There was no difference in this implicit preference for monogamy between heterosexual men and women. Men who have sex with men and women who have sex with women were more likely to exhibit implicit but not explicit preferences for concurrency compared to heterosexual men and women. Correlates of the C-IAT varied between men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris R. Kenyon
- HIV/STI Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - Kenny Wolfs
- Faculty of Psychology, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | - Kara Osbak
- HIV/STI Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jacques van Lankveld
- Faculty of Psychology, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | - Guido Van Hal
- University of Antwerp, Medical Sociology and Health Policy, Antwerp, Belgium
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Mulawa MI, Kajula LJ, Maman S. Peer network influence on intimate partner violence perpetration among urban Tanzanian men. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2018; 20:474-488. [PMID: 28812448 PMCID: PMC5815961 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2017.1357193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Male perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women in Tanzania is widespread. Theory and empirical evidence suggest peer networks may play an important role in shaping IPV perpetration, although research on this topic in sub-Saharan Africa is limited. Grounded in social learning theory, social influence theory, and the theory of gender and power, the purpose of this study was to examine whether and how peer networks influence men's perpetration of IPV in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We conducted in-depth interviews (n = 40) with a sub-sample of 20 men enrolled in the control condition of an ongoing cluster-randomised controlled trial. We purposively sampled participants who previously reported perpetrating physical IPV. To analyse the data, we generated narrative summaries and conducted thematic and interpretative coding. We saw no evidence that men self-selected into peer networks with certain values or behaviours. Rather, men described several mechanisms through which their peers influenced the perpetration of IPV, including: (1) the internalisation of peer network norms, (2) pressure to conform to peer network norms and (3) the direct involvement of peers in shaping couple power dynamics. Our findings suggest that peer networks influence men's perpetration of IPV and should be targeted in future programmes and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta I Mulawa
- a Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health , The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill , USA
| | - Lusajo J Kajula
- b Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health , Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences , Dar es Salaam , Tanzania
| | - Suzanne Maman
- a Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health , The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill , USA
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Hill LM, Moody J, Gottfredson NC, Kajula LJ, Pence BW, Go VF, Maman S. Peer norms moderate the association between mental health and sexual risk behaviors among young men living in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Soc Sci Med 2018; 196:77-85. [PMID: 29156358 PMCID: PMC5768456 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Young men living in Dar es Salaam's informal settlements face environmental stressors that may expose them to multiple determinants of HIV risk including poor mental health and risky sexual behavior norms. We aimed to understand how these co-occurring risk factors not only independently affect men's condom use and sexual partner concurrency, but also how they interact to shape these risk behaviors. METHODS Participants in the study were male members of 59 social groups known as "camps" in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We assessed moderation by changes in peer norms of the association between changes in symptoms of anxiety and depression and sexual risk behaviors (condom use and sexual partner concurrency) among 1113 sexually active men. Participants nominated their three closest friends in their camp and reported their perceptions of these friends' behaviors, attitudes, and encouragement of condom use and concurrency. Anxiety and depression were measured using the HSCL-25, and condom use and sexual partner concurrency were assessed through self-report. RESULTS Perceptions of decreasing condom use among friends (descriptive norms) and decreasing encouragement of condom use were associated with lower levels of condom use. Perceptions of increasing partner concurrency and acceptability of partner concurrency (injunctive norms) among friends were associated with higher odds of concurrency. Changes in perceived condom use norms (descriptive norms and encouragement) interacted with changes in anxiety symptoms in association with condom use such that the negative relationship was amplified by norms less favorable for condom use, and attenuated by more favorable norms for condom use. CONCLUSIONS These results provide novel evidence of the interacting effects of poor mental health and risky sexual behavior norms among a hard to reach population of marginalized young men in Dar es Salaam. Our findings provide important information for future norms-based and mental health promotion interventions targeting HIV prevention in this key population.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M Hill
- Department of Health Behavior, UNC Chapel Hill, CB #7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States.
| | - J Moody
- Department of Sociology, Duke University, Box 90088, Durham, NC 27708, United States; Department of Sociology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
| | - N C Gottfredson
- Department of Health Behavior, UNC Chapel Hill, CB #7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States.
| | - L J Kajula
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
| | - B W Pence
- Department of Epidemiology, UNC Chapel Hill, CB# 7435, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States.
| | - V F Go
- Department of Health Behavior, UNC Chapel Hill, CB #7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States.
| | - S Maman
- Department of Health Behavior, UNC Chapel Hill, CB #7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States.
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Burgueño E, Carlos S, Lopez-Del Burgo C, Osorio A, Stozek M, Ndarabu A, Muamba P, Tshisuaka P, De Irala J. Forced sexual intercourse and its association with HIV status among people attending HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing in a healthcare center in Kinshasa (DRC). PLoS One 2017; 12:e0189632. [PMID: 29253857 PMCID: PMC5734756 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sexual violence, an HIV determinant, is an integrated behavior in the D.R.Congo. We aimed to analyze the prevalence of forced sexual intercourse (FSI) among people receiving HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing in a hospital in Kinshasa, and its association with socio-demographics, behaviors and HIV status. METHODOLOGY Case-control study (2010-2012). Two-hundred and seventy-four cases with a new HIV+ test and 1,340 controls with an HIV- test were interviewed about HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, including FSI. RESULTS Thirty-four percent of the participants declared having had FSI (38% of women and 32% of men). Being a woman, aged 25-49 and reporting multiple sexual partners were associated with reporting FSI. For men, being single was protective against FSI; and cohabiting, having a high socioeconomic status, and alcohol consumption increased the odds. For women, being single, divorced/separated and widow was associated with reporting FSI. A significant positive association was found between FSI and an HIV positive test. CONCLUSION Among our Congolese population, FSI was strongly associated with HIV infection and it was also associated with alcohol consumption and multiple sexual partnerships, other key HIV determinants. These behaviors need to be identified as potential risk factors of FSI during counseling interventions. Researchers, practitioners and decision-makers should work together to get violence prevention integrated into health, social and educational policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Burgueño
- CEFA-Monkole, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- School of Medicine, University of Mwene-Ditu, Mwene-Ditu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Silvia Carlos
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health Department, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
- Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Cristina Lopez-Del Burgo
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health Department, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
- Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Alfonso Osorio
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
- Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- School of Education and Psychology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maria Stozek
- Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Adolphe Ndarabu
- Monkole Hospital, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Philémon Muamba
- School of Law and Politics, Catholic University of Congo, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Jokin De Irala
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health Department, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
- Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
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Ward-Peterson M, Fennie K, Mauck D, Shakir M, Cosner C, Bhoite P, Trepka MJ, Madhivanan P. Using multilevel models to evaluate the influence of contextual factors on HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, and risky sexual behavior in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review. Ann Epidemiol 2017; 28:119-134. [PMID: 29439782 DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Revised: 11/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To describe the use of multilevel models (MLMs) in evaluating the influence of contextual factors on HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and risky sexual behavior (RSB) in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS Ten databases were searched through May 29, 2016. Two reviewers completed screening and full-text review. Studies examining the influence of contextual factors on HIV/AIDS, STIs, and RSB and using MLMs for analysis were included. The Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies was used to evaluate study quality. RESULTS A total of 118 studies met inclusion criteria. Seventy-four studies focused on HIV/AIDS-related topics; 46 focused on RSB. No studies related to STIs other than HIV/AIDS met the eligibility criteria. Of five studies examining HIV serostatus and community socioeconomic factors, three found an association between poverty and measures of inequality and increased HIV prevalence. Among studies examining RSB, associations were found with numerous contextual factors, including poverty, education, and gender norms. CONCLUSIONS Studies using MLMs indicate that several contextual factors, including community measures of socioeconomic status and educational attainment, are associated with a number of outcomes related to HIV/AIDS and RSB. Future studies using MLMs should focus on contextual-level interventions to strengthen the evidence base for causality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Ward-Peterson
- Department of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL.
| | - Kristopher Fennie
- Department of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL
| | - Daniel Mauck
- Department of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL
| | - Maryam Shakir
- Office of Medical Education, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL
| | - Chelsea Cosner
- Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL
| | - Prasad Bhoite
- Department of Health, Humanities, and Society, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL
| | - Mary Jo Trepka
- Department of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL
| | - Purnima Madhivanan
- Department of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL
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Community-Level HIV Stigma as a Driver for HIV Transmission Risk Behaviors and Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Sierra Leone: A Population-Based Study. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2017; 75:399-407. [PMID: 28406807 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000001418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Although HIV stigma has been identified as an important risk factor for HIV transmission risk behaviors, little is known about the contribution of community-level HIV stigma to HIV transmission risk behaviors and self-reported sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or how gender may modify associations. METHODS We pooled data from the 2008 and 2013 Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Surveys. For HIV stigma, we examined HIV stigmatizing attitudes and HIV disclosure concerns at both individual and community levels. Outcomes of HIV transmission risk behaviors were recent condom usage, consistent condom usage, and self-reported STDs. We assessed associations with multivariable logistic regressions. We also analyzed gender as an effect modifier of these associations. RESULTS Of 34,574 respondents, 24,030 (69.5%) who had heard of HIV were included in this analysis. Community-level HIV stigmatizing attitudes and disclosure concerns were associated with higher odds of self-reported STDs (adjusted odds ratio = 2.07; 95% confidence interval: 1.55 to 2.77; adjusted odds ratio = 2.95; 95% confidence interval: 1.51 to 5.58). Compared with men, community-level HIV stigmatizing attitudes among women were a stronger driver of self-reported STDs (interaction P = 0.07). Gender modified the association between community-level HIV disclosure concerns and both recent and consistent condom usage (interaction P = 0.03 and P = 0.002, respectively). Community-level HIV disclosure concerns among women were observed to be a driver of risky sex and self-reported STDs. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that community-level HIV stigma may be a driver for risky sex and self-reported STDs, particularly among women. Our findings suggest that community-held stigmatizing beliefs and HIV disclosure concerns among women might be important targets for HIV stigma reduction interventions.
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Cassels S, Jenness SM, Biney AAE, Dodoo FNA. Geographic mobility and potential bridging for sexually transmitted infections in Agbogbloshie, Ghana. Soc Sci Med 2017; 184:27-39. [PMID: 28501018 PMCID: PMC5525941 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Revised: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Short-term mobility can significantly influence the spread of infectious disease. In order for mobile individuals to geographically spread sexually transmitted infections (STIs), individuals must engage in sexual acts with different partners in two places within a short time. In this study, we considered the potential of mobile individuals as bridge populations - individuals who link otherwise disconnected sexual networks and contributed to ongoing STI transmission. Using monthly retrospective panel data, we examined associations between short-term mobility and sexual partner concurrency in Agbogbloshie, Ghana. We also examined bridging by the location of sex acts and the location of sexual partners in concurrent triads, and whether mobile individuals from our sample were more likely to be members of geographic bridging triads. Although reported rates of sexual partnership concurrency were much higher for men compared to women, mobility was only associated with increased concurrency for women. Additionally, this association held for middle-distance mobility and short-duration trips for women. Taking into account the location of sex acts and the location of sexual partners, about 22% of men (21.7% and 22.4% for mobile and non-mobile men, respectively) and only 3% of women (1.4% and 3.3% for mobile and non-mobile women, respectively) were potential bridges for STIs over the last year. Our results highlight the gendered nature of mobility and sexual risk behavior, reflecting the normative social context that encourages women to conceal certain types of sexual behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Cassels
- Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-4060, United States.
| | - Samuel M Jenness
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States
| | - Adriana A E Biney
- Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 96, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - F Nii-Amoo Dodoo
- The Pennsylvania State University & University of Ghana, 211 Oswald Tower, University Park, PA 16802, United States
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Karita E, Nsanzimana S, Ndagije F, Wall KM, Mukamuyango J, Mugwaneza P, Remera E, Raghunathan PL, Bayingana R, Kayitenkore K, Bekan-Homawoo B, Tichacek A, Allen S. Implementation and Operational Research: Evolution of Couples' Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV in Rwanda: From Research to Public Health Practice. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2016; 73:e51-e58. [PMID: 27741033 PMCID: PMC5367509 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000001138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Couples' voluntary HIV counseling and testing (CVCT) is a WHO-recommended intervention for prevention of heterosexual HIV transmission which very few African couples have received. We report the successful nationwide implementation of CVCT in Rwanda. METHODS From 1988 to 1994 in Rwanda, pregnant and postpartum women were tested for HIV and requested testing for their husbands. Partner testing was associated with more condom use and lower HIV and sexually transmitted infection rates, particularly among HIV-discordant couples. After the 1994 genocide, the research team continued to refine CVCT procedures in Zambia. These were reintroduced to Rwanda in 2001 and continually tested and improved. In 2003, the Government of Rwanda (GoR) established targets for partner testing among pregnant women, with the proportion rising from 16% in 2003 to 84% in 2008 as the prevention of mother-to-child transmission program expanded to >400 clinics. In 2009, the GoR adopted joint posttest counseling procedures, and in 2010 a quarterly follow-up program for discordant couples was established in government clinics with training and technical assistance. An estimated 80%-90% of Rwandan couples have now been jointly counseled and tested resulting in prevention of >70% of new HIV infections. CONCLUSIONS Rwanda is the first African country to have established CVCT as standard of care in antenatal care. More than 20 countries have sent providers to Rwanda for CVCT training. To duplicate Rwanda's success, training and technical assistance must be part of a coordinated effort to set national targets, timelines, indicators, and budgets. Governments, bilateral, and multilateral funding agencies must jointly prioritize CVCT for prevention of new HIV infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Karita
- Project San Francisco (PSF), Kigali, Rwanda
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | | | - Felix Ndagije
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Kristin M. Wall
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Jeannine Mukamuyango
- Project San Francisco (PSF), Kigali, Rwanda
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | | | - Eric Remera
- Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Pratima L. Raghunathan
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Global Health, Atlanta, GA; and
| | - Roger Bayingana
- Project San Francisco (PSF), Kigali, Rwanda
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Kayitesi Kayitenkore
- Project San Francisco (PSF), Kigali, Rwanda
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Brigitte Bekan-Homawoo
- Project San Francisco (PSF), Kigali, Rwanda
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Amanda Tichacek
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Susan Allen
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
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36
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Mulawa M, Yamanis TJ, Balvanz P, Kajula LJ, Maman S. Comparing Perceptions with Actual Reports of Close Friend's HIV Testing Behavior Among Urban Tanzanian Men. AIDS Behav 2016; 20:2014-22. [PMID: 26880322 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-016-1335-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Men have lower rates of HIV testing and higher rates of AIDS-related mortality compared to women in sub-Saharan Africa. To assess whether there is an opportunity to increase men's uptake of testing by correcting misperceptions about testing norms, we compare men's perceptions of their closest friend's HIV testing behaviors with the friend's actual testing self-report using a unique dataset of men sampled within their social networks (n = 59) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We examine the accuracy and bias of perceptions among men who have tested for HIV (n = 391) and compare them to the perceptions among men who never tested (n = 432). We found that testers and non-testers did not differ in the accuracy of their perceptions, though non-testers were strongly biased towards assuming that their closest friends had not tested. Our results lend support to social norms approaches designed to correct the biased misperceptions of non-testers to promote men's HIV testing.
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