Objective: To evaluate effectiveness of a standardized patient actor (SP) training intervention to improve quality of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Kenya.
Design: Cluster randomized trial and mystery shopper evaluation.
Methods: Twelve of 24 maternal child health and family planning facilities were randomized to SP training.
Background: Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and male partner HIV self-testing (HIVST) is being scaled up within antenatal clinics. Few data are available on how co-distribution influences acceptance of both interventions.
Methods: We used data from the PrEP Implementation of Mothers in Antenatal Care (NCT03070600) trial in Kenya.
Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is recommended by the World Health Organization and the Kenyan Ministry of Health for HIV prevention in pregnancy and postpartum for women at risk for HIV. Integration of PrEP into antenatal care is promising, but delivery gaps exist in the face of healthcare provider shortages in resource-limited settings.
Methods: Between May and November 2021, we conducted a difference-in-differences study (3 months pre-intervention data collection and 3 months post-intervention data collection) analyzing four intervention facilities, where the strategies were implemented, and four comparison facilities, where no strategies were implemented.
Background: Delivery of PrEP to adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) and to pregnant women through maternal and child health (MCH) and family planning (FP) clinics is scaling up in Kenya. Evaluation of implementation challenges and strategies is critical to optimize delivery.
Methods: We conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) with healthcare workers (HCWs) in MCH and FP clinics offering PrEP in a large implementation project in Kisumu, Kenya.
Background: There is a higher risk for HIV acquisition during pregnancy and postpartum. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is recommended during this period for those at high risk of infection; integrated delivery in maternal and child health (MCH) clinics is feasible and acceptable but requires implementation optimization.
Methods: The PrEP in Pregnancy, Accelerating Reach and Efficiency study (PrEPARE; NCT04712994) engaged stakeholders to prioritize determinants of PrEP delivery (using Likert scores) and prioritize PrEP delivery implementation strategies.
Background: Risk of HIV acquisition is high during pregnancy and postpartum, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is recommended for peripartum populations. Integrating PrEP into maternal and child health (MCH) clinics is feasible and acceptable. Understanding clinics' service availability and readiness is essential for effective scale up.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There is a lack of consensus about how to prioritize potential implementation strategies for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) delivery. We compared several prioritization methods for their agreement and pragmatism in practice in a resource-limited setting.
Methods: We engaged diverse stakeholders with clinical PrEP delivery and PrEP decision-making experience across 55 facilities in Kenya to prioritize 16 PrEP delivery strategies.
Objective: We evaluated pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) initiation, persistence, and adherence measured via tenofovir-diphosphate (TFV-DP) concentrations in dried blood spots (DBS) among women offered PrEP during pregnancy.
Methods: We prospectively analyzed data from participants in the PrIMA Study (NCT03070600) who were offered PrEP during the second trimester and followed through 9 months postpartum. At follow-up visits (monthly in pregnancy; 6 weeks, 6 months, 9 months postpartum), self-reported PrEP use was assessed, and DBS were collected for quantifying TFV-DP concentrations.
Background: Evidence gaps remain regarding the influence of prenatal psychosocial factors on adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate relationships between psychosocial factors and adverse perinatal outcomes among Kenyan women.
Methods: We analysed data from a prospective cohort study enrolling HIV-negative women in pregnancy (NCT03070600) in 20 antenatal clinics in Western Kenya.
Background: There are limited data on home pregnancy test use among women in low-and-middle-income countries. A prior survey found that only 20% of women in western Kenya used a home pregnancy test to confirm their pregnancies before going to antenatal care. This qualitative study aims to understand why women do not use home pregnancy tests in early pregnancy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Gynaecol Obstet
July 2023
Objective: The authors evaluated factors contributing to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine hesitancy among pregnant and postpartum women to inform vaccine scale-up strategies.
Methods: This observational study utilized data from pregnant and postpartum women attending four public maternal child health (MCH) clinics in Western Kenya. From October 2020 to July 2022, nurses assessed COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, defined as reporting "unlikely" or "very unlikely" to the question, "If a vaccine for COVID-19 were available today, what is the likelihood that you would get vaccinated?"
Results: Among 1023 women (235 pregnant, 788 postpartum), 20% reported worsened MCH care during the pandemic and most (92%) perceived themselves or family members to be at risk for COVID-19, yet 54% of women reported COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.
Introduction: Integrating pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) delivery for pregnant and postpartum women within maternal and child health (MCH) clinics is feasible and acceptable. It is unknown whether a risk-guided model would facilitate appropriate PrEP use among MCH attendees better than universally offering PrEP.
Methods: The PrEP Implementation for Mothers in Antenatal Care (PrIMA) study was a cluster randomized trial to assess two models for PrEP delivery among pregnant women seeking routine MCH care at 20 public clinics in Kenya between January 2018 and July 2019 (NCT03070600).
Background: Identifying optimal depression screening tools for use in maternal health clinics could improve maternal and infant health. We compared four tools for diagnostic performance and epidemiologic associations.
Methods: This study was nested in a cluster-randomized trial in Kenya.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake and adherence among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) may be negatively influenced by poor interactions with health care providers. We assessed PrEP counseling using unannounced standardized patient actors (USPs) at routine care clinics in Kenya. Trained actors posed as AGYW seeking PrEP services following case scripts and completed a checklist of provider adherence to national guidelines and communication skills.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There are gaps in understanding longitudinal patterns and predictors of perinatal depressive symptoms in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to explore trajectories of depressive symptoms and associated factors from pregnancy to 9 months post partum among Kenyan women.
Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we analysed data from the PrEP Implementation for Mothers in Antenatal Care (PrIMA) study in which HIV-negative women were enrolled in pregnancy and followed up to 9 months post partum in 20 public sector maternal-child health clinics in western Kenya.
Background: Health care worker (HCW) training using standardized patient actors (SPs) is an evidence-based approach for improving patient-provider interactions. We evaluated whether SP training among HCWs in Western Kenya improved the quality of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) counseling for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW).
Methods: We conducted a 2-day SP training intervention among HCWs providing PrEP counseling for AGYW.
We sought to understand influences on PrEP uptake among Kenyan adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) whose decision on PrEP use was misaligned with their risk for HIV acquisition. In-depth interviews were conducted with 47 Kenyan HIV-negative AGYW aged 15-24 years who were offered PrEP during routine maternal and child health and family planning services. AGYW were sampled from two groups (1) declined PrEP and had ≥1 sexual partner(s) of unknown HIV status and (2) initiated PrEP and reported having one HIV-negative partner.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) delivery to adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) is scaling up in sub-Saharan African countries. Understanding how AGYW learn about PrEP is needed to inform programs seeking to reach AGYW with HIV prevention tools.
Methods: AGYW (ages 15-24), attending routine family planning and maternal child health clinics in Kisumu, Kenya, participated in in-depth interviews.
Understanding HIV risk behaviors among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) seeking contraception could help inform integrating HIV prevention services within family planning (FP) clinics. From 10/2018 to 04/2019, we conducted a survey at 4 FP clinics in Kisumu, Kenya to evaluate risk behaviors among AGYW without HIV infection seeking contraception. All AGYW aged 15-24 were invited to participate following receipt of FP services.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Discontinuation of daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is frequent among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in African settings. We explored factors influencing early PrEP discontinuation and persistence among Kenyan AGYW who accepted PrEP within a programmatic setting.
Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with AGYW (aged 15-24 years) who accepted PrEP from 4 maternal child health (MCH) and family planning (FP) clinics.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr
December 2020
Background: Despite a doubling of HIV testing coverage in Kenya over the past decade, approximately 2 in 10 people with HIV remained unaware of their infection in 2018. HIV testing is most effective in identifying people with undiagnosed HIV through frequent and strategic testing in populations at high risk. An assessment of testing frequency and predictors of first-time and repeat testing is critical for monitoring effectiveness of testing strategies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) assisted partner services (aPS) has been recommended as a strategy to increase HIV case finding. We evaluated factors associated with poor linkage to HIV care among newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals (index clients) and their partners after receiving aPS in Kenya.
Methods: In a cluster randomized trial conducted between 2013 and 2015, 9 facilities were randomized to immediate aPS (intervention).
Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) are a priority population for HIV prevention in high-burden settings. We evaluated psychosocial characteristics, behavioral risk factors for HIV, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) awareness and uptake among AGYW seeking contraceptive services at four public sector family planning (FP) clinics offering integrated PrEP delivery in Kisumu, Kenya. From October 2018 to June 2019, we approached all AGYW (aged 15-24 years) seeking contraception to participate in a survey following receipt of FP services and PrEP screening.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in sub-Saharan Africa are at high risk of HIV acquisition. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) demonstration projects observe that AGYW uptake and adherence to PrEP during risk periods is suboptimal. Judgemental interactions with healthcare workers (HCW) and inadequate counselling can be barriers to PrEP use among AGYW.
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