Identifying psychosocial predictors and developing a risk score for preterm birth among Kenyan pregnant women.

Background: Preterm birth (PTB) is a leading cause of neonatal mortality, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where 40% of global neonatal deaths occur. We identified and combined demographic, clinical, and psychosocial correlates of PTB among Kenyan women to develop a risk score.

Methods: We used data from a prospective study enrolling HIV-negative women from 20 antenatal clinics in Western Kenya (NCT03070600).

Digital communication between mothers and community health workers to support neonatal health (CHV-NEO): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Provision of essential newborn care at home, rapid identification of illness, and care-seeking by caregivers can prevent neonatal mortality. Mobile technology can connect caregivers with information and healthcare worker advice more rapidly and frequently than healthcare visits. Community health workers (CHWs) are well-suited to deliver such interventions.

Mobile solutions to Empower reproductive life planning for women living with HIV in Kenya (MWACh EMPOWER): Protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: Women living with HIV (WLWH) face unique reproductive health (RH) barriers which increase their risks of unmet need for contraception, contraceptive failure, unintended pregnancy, and pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality and may prevent them from achieving their reproductive goals. Patient-centered counseling interventions that support health care workers (HCWs) in providing high-quality RH counseling, tailored to the needs of WLWH, may improve reproductive health outcomes.

Methods And Design: We are conducting a non-blinded cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) of a digital health intervention for WLWH (clinicaltrials.

Cofactors of Partner HIV Self-testing and Oral PrEP Acceptance Among Pregnant Women at High Risk of HIV in Kenya.

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.

An implementation strategy package (video education, HIV self-testing, and co-location) improves PrEP implementation for pregnant women in antenatal care clinics in western 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.

Barriers to and facilitators of effective management of fever episodes in hospitalised Kenyan children with cancer: protocol for convergent mixed methods study.

Introduction: Febrile neutropenia is an oncological emergency in children with cancer, associated with serious infections and complications. In low-resourced settings, death from infections in children with cancer is 20 times higher than in high-resourced treatment settings, thought to be related to delays in antibiotic administration and management. The barriers to effective management of fever episodes in children with cancer have not previously been described.

Implementation determinants and strategies in integration of PrEP into maternal and child health and family planning services: experiences of frontline healthcare workers in Kenya.

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.

Selecting implementation strategies to improve implementation of integrated PrEP for pregnant and postpartum populations in Kenya: a sequential explanatory mixed methods analysis.

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.

Integrating PrEP in maternal and child health clinics in Kenya: analysis of a service availability and readiness assessment (SARA) survey.

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.

Comparison of methods to engage diverse stakeholder populations in prioritizing PrEP implementation strategies for testing in resource-limited settings: a cross-sectional study.

Background: 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.

HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis initiation, persistence, and adherence during pregnancy through the postpartum period.

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.

Risks of adverse perinatal outcomes in relation to maternal depressive symptoms: A prospective cohort study in Kenya.

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.

Understanding factors influencing home pregnancy test use among women in western Kenya: A qualitative analysis.

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.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among pregnant and postpartum Kenyan women.

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.

Correction: A Text Messaging-Based Support Intervention to Enhance Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention Adherence During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2196/41170.].

Online HIV prophylaxis delivery: Protocol for the ePrEP Kenya pilot study.

Background: Online pharmacies in Kenya provide sexual and reproductive health products (e.g., HIV self-testing, contraception) and could be leveraged to increase the reach of HIV pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP/PEP) to populations who do not frequently attend health facilities.

Risk-based versus universal PrEP delivery during pregnancy: a cluster randomized trial in Western Kenya from 2018 to 2019.

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).

A Text Messaging-Based Support Intervention to Enhance Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention Adherence During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Cisgender women in Kenya are at elevated risk of HIV acquisition during pregnancy and post partum. Acute HIV infection during pregnancy and breastfeeding accounts for approximately one-third of all vertical HIV transmissions. The World Health Organization recommends offering oral tenofovir-based pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to pregnant and postpartum women who are HIV negative but at substantial and ongoing risk for HIV acquisition.

Comparing depression screening tools (CESD-10, EPDS, PHQ-9, and PHQ-2) for diagnostic performance and epidemiologic associations among postpartum Kenyan women: Implications for research and practice.

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.

" Healthcare Worker Perspectives on Using pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) During Pregnancy and Postpartum in Kenya.

Pregnant and postpartum women in high HIV prevalent regions are at increased HIV risk. Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can decrease HIV incidence reducing infant HIV infections. Understanding healthcare worker (HCW) beliefs about PrEP prior to national roll-out is critical to supporting PrEP scale-up.

Trajectories and predictors of perinatal depressive symptoms among Kenyan women: a prospective cohort study.

Background: 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.

Prevalence and correlates of pregnancy self-testing among pregnant women attending antenatal care in western Kenya.

In sub-Saharan Africa little is known about how often women use pregnancy self-tests or characteristics of these women despite evidence that pregnancy self-testing is associated with early antenatal care (ANC) initiation. Understanding the characteristics of women who use pregnancy self-tests can facilitate more targeted efforts to improve pregnancy testing experiences and entry into the ANC pathway. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among pregnant women enrolling in a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) implementation study to determine the prevalence and factors associated with pregnancy self-testing among women in western Kenya.

Key influences on the decision to initiate PrEP among adolescent girls and young women within routine maternal child health and family planning clinics in Western Kenya.

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.

Brief Report: "What Is This PrEP?"-Sources and Accuracy of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Awareness Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women Attending Family Planning and Maternal Child Health Clinics in Western Kenya.

Background: 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.