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Mwaniki SW, Kaberia PM, Mugo PM, Palanee-Phillips T. "What if I get sick, where shall I go?": a qualitative investigation of healthcare engagement among young gay and bisexual men in Nairobi, Kenya. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:52. [PMID: 38166989 PMCID: PMC10763282 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17555-x] [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] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Globally, young gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (YMSM) experience a disproportionate burden of disease compared to young heterosexual men and older MSM. However, YMSM experience major inequities in access and use of health services. We sought to gain a detailed understanding of YMSM's healthcare engagement experiences across public, private, tertiary institution-based and MSM-friendly health facilities in Nairobi, Kenya, to inform development of interventions to improve access and use of health services by YMSM. METHODS In September 2021, in-person qualitative in-depths interviews were conducted among 22 YMSM purposively sampled from 248 YMSM who had previously participated in a respondent-driven sampling integrated bio-behavioral survey. Interviews were done in English, transcribed verbatim and analyzed descriptively using NVivo version 12. RESULTS Participants were 18-24 years old, all identified as cisgender male, three-quarters as gay and a quarter as bisexual. Themes that were defined from the analysis included: YMSM's experiences during healthcare seeking in various clinical settings, priority health needs, desired healthcare provider (HCP) characteristics, and the potential role of digital health interventions in improving access and use of health services. Participants relayed experiences of prejudice, stigma and discrimination when seeking services in public and institution-based health facilities, unlike in community pharmacies, private and MSM-friendly health facilities where they felt they were handled with dignity. Health needs prioritized by YMSM centered on prevention and control of HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), depression and substance abuse. Participants desired HCPs who were empathetic, non-judgmental and knowledgeable about their unique health needs such as management of anorectal STIs. Participants highlighted the usefulness of digital media in offering telehealth consultations and health education on subjects such as HIV/STIs prevention. CONCLUSION During engagement with healthcare, YMSM experience various barriers that may cause them to postpone or avoid seeking care hence resulting in poor health outcomes. There is need to equip HCPs with knowledge, skills and cultural competencies to enable them offer equitable services to YMSM. Considerations should also be made for use of digital health interventions that may help YMSM circumvent some of the aforementioned barriers to service access and use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Waweru Mwaniki
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Department of Health Services, Administration and Campus Support Services, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | - Peter Mwenda Kaberia
- Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Peter Mwangi Mugo
- Kenya Medical Research Institute - Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Thesla Palanee-Phillips
- Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Phillips AN, Bansi-Matharu L, Shahmanesh M, Hargreaves JR, Smith J, Revill P, Sibanda E, Ehrenkranz P, Sikwese K, Rodger A, Lundgren JD, Gilks CF, Godfrey C, Cowan F, Cambiano V. Potential cost-effectiveness of community availability of tenofovir, lamivudine, and dolutegravir for HIV prevention and treatment in east, central, southern, and west Africa: a modelling analysis. Lancet Glob Health 2023; 11:e1648-e1657. [PMID: 37734807 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(23)00383-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) offers protection from HIV after condomless sex, but is not widely available in a timely manner in east, central, southern, and west Africa. To inform the potential pilot implementation of such an approach, we modelled the effect and cost-effectiveness of making PEP consisting of tenofovir, lamivudine, and dolutegravir (TLD) freely and locally available in communities without prescription, with the aim of enabling PEP use within 24 h of condomless sex. Free community availability of TLD (referred to as community TLD) might also result in some use of TLD as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and as antiretroviral therapy for people living with HIV. METHODS Using an existing individual-based model (HIV Synthesis), we explicitly modelled the potential positive and negative effects of community TLD. Through the sampling of parameter values we created 1000 setting-scenarios, reflecting the uncertainty in assumptions and a range of settings similar to those seen in east, central, southern, and west Africa (with a median HIV prevalence of 14·8% in women and 8·1% in men). For each setting scenario, we considered the effects of community TLD. TLD PEP was assumed to have at least 90% efficacy in preventing HIV infection after condomless sex with a person living with HIV. FINDINGS The modelled effects of community TLD availability based on an assumed high uptake of TLD resulted in a mean reduction in incidence of 31% (90% range over setting scenarios, 6% increase to 57% decrease) over 20 years, with an HIV incidence reduction over 50 years in 91% of the 1000 setting scenarios, deaths averted in 55% of scenarios, reduction in costs in 92% of scenarios, and disability-adjusted life-years averted in 64% of scenarios with community TLD. Community TLD was cost-effective in 90% of setting scenarios and cost-saving (with disability-adjusted life-years averted) in 58% of scenarios. When only examining setting scenarios in which there was lower uptake of community TLD, community TLD is cost-effective in 92% of setting scenarios. INTERPRETATION The introduction of community TLD, enabling greater PEP access, is a promising approach to consider further in pilot implementation projects. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the HIV Modelling Consortium.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Maryam Shahmanesh
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK; Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | | | - Jennifer Smith
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Revill
- Centre for Health Economics, University of York, York, UK
| | - Euphemia Sibanda
- CeSHHAR Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe; Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | | | | | - Alison Rodger
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jens D Lundgren
- Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Catherine Godfrey
- Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, Department of State, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Frances Cowan
- CeSHHAR Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe; Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
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Ortblad KF, Kwach B, Zhang S, Asewe M, Ongwen PA, Malen RC, Harkey K, Odoyo J, Gathii P, Rota G, Sharma M, Were DK, Ngure K, Omollo V, Bukusi EA. Measuring the performance of HIV self-testing at private pharmacies in Kenya: a cross-sectional study. J Int AIDS Soc 2023; 26:e26177. [PMID: 37848405 PMCID: PMC10581952 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.26177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION HIV self-testing (HIVST) has the potential to support daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) delivery in private pharmacies, but many national guidelines have not approved HIVST for PrEP dispensing. In Kenya, pharmacy providers are permitted to deliver HIVST, but often do not have the required certification to deliver rapid diagnostic testing (RDT). We estimated the performance of provider-delivered HIVST compared to RDT, the standard of care for PrEP delivery, at private pharmacies in Kenya to inform decisions on the use of HIVST for PrEP scale-up. METHODS At 20 pharmacies in Kisumu County, we trained pharmacy providers (pharmacists and pharmaceutical technologists) on blood-based HIVST use and client assistance (if requested). We recruited pharmacy clients purchasing sexual and reproductive health-related products (e.g. condoms) and enrolled those ≥18 years with self-reported behaviours associated with HIV risk. Enrolled clients received HIVST with associated provider counselling, followed by RDT by a certified HIV testing services (HTS) counsellor. Pharmacy providers and clients independently interpreted HIVST results prior to RDT (results interpreted only by the HTS counsellor). We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of pharmacy provider-delivered HIVST compared to HTS counsellor-administered RDT. RESULTS Between March and June 2022, we screened 1691 clients and enrolled 1500; 64% (954/1500) were female and the median age was 26 years (IQR 22-31). We additionally enrolled 40 providers; 42% (17/40) were pharmacy owners and their median years of experience was 6 (IQR 4-10). The majority (79%, 1190/1500) of clients requested provider assistance with HIVST and providers spent a median of 20 minutes (IQR 15-43) with each HIVST client. The sensitivity of provider-delivered HIVST at the pharmacy was high when interpreted by providers (98.5%, 95% CI 97.8%, 99.1%) and clients (98.8%, 95% CI 98.0%, 99.3%), as was the specificity of HIVST in this setting (provider-interpretation: 96.9%, 95% CI 89.2%, 99.6%; client-interpretation: 93.8%, 95% CI 84.8%, 98.3%). CONCLUSIONS When compared to the national HIV testing algorithm, provider-delivered blood-based HIVST at private pharmacies in Kenya performed well. These findings suggest that blood-based HIVST may be a useful tool to support PrEP initiation and continuation at private pharmacies and potentially other community-based delivery settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina F. Ortblad
- Public Health Sciences DivisionFred Hutchinson Cancer CenterSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Benn Kwach
- Centre for Microbiology ResearchKenya Medical Research InstituteNairobiKenya
| | - Shengruo Zhang
- Department of EpidemiologyUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Magdalene Asewe
- Centre for Microbiology ResearchKenya Medical Research InstituteNairobiKenya
| | | | - Rachel C. Malen
- Public Health Sciences DivisionFred Hutchinson Cancer CenterSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Kendall Harkey
- Public Health Sciences DivisionFred Hutchinson Cancer CenterSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Josephine Odoyo
- Centre for Microbiology ResearchKenya Medical Research InstituteNairobiKenya
| | | | - Greshon Rota
- Centre for Microbiology ResearchKenya Medical Research InstituteNairobiKenya
| | - Monisha Sharma
- Department of Global HealthUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | | | - Kenneth Ngure
- School of Public HealthJomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and TechnologyNairobiKenya
| | - Victor Omollo
- Centre for Microbiology ResearchKenya Medical Research InstituteNairobiKenya
| | - Elizabeth Anne Bukusi
- Centre for Microbiology ResearchKenya Medical Research InstituteNairobiKenya
- Department of Global HealthUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
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