Looking for the future - Hope and adolescent risk behaviour in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

We investigate the relationship between hope and risky behaviour and the role of migration among young people in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We use data from a cohort of  = 5248 adolescents and young adults (AYA) aged 13-35 recruited and followed up in 2017-2019. We conducted a structured quantitative survey to assess levels of hope among AYA using a validated tool/scale.

eYoung men's experiences of violence and poverty and the relationship to sexually transmissible HIV: a cross sectional study from rural South Africa.

Background: Young (ages 18-35 years) men are inadequately engaged in HIV prevention and treatment globally, including in South Africa, increasing the likelihood of them having sexually transmissible HIV (i.e. living with HIV but with high viral loads).

Performance of patient-collected dried blood specimens for HIV-1 viral load testing in South Africa.

Objective: Evaluate the clinical utility of patient-collected dried blood spots (DBS) in measuring HIV-1 viral load (VL) for monitoring antiretroviral therapy (ART) compared to provider-collected DBS and blood plasma.

Design: In a randomized trial of community-based delivery of ART in South Africa, we assessed performance of: DBS specimens compared to plasma, and participant-collected vs. staff-collected DBS specimens, to measure HIV-1 VL.

Effect of a Male-Targeted Digital Decision Support Application Aimed at Increasing Linkage to HIV Care Among Men: Findings from the HITS Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial in Rural South Africa.

Linkage to HIV care remains suboptimal among men. We investigated the effectiveness of a male-targeted HIV-specific decision support app, Empowering People through Informed Choices for HIV (EPIC-HIV), on increasing linkage to HIV care among men in rural South Africa. Home-Based Intervention to Test and Start (HITS) was a multi-component cluster-randomized controlled trial conducted among 45 communities in uMkhanyakude, KwaZulu-Natal.

The effect on HIV transmission and cost-effectiveness of programmes for female sex workers in East, Central, and Southern Africa: a modelling study.

Background: HIV prevalence and incidence has declined in East, Central, and Southern Africa (ECSA), but remains high among female sex workers (FSWs). Sex worker programmes have the potential to considerably increase access to HIV testing, prevention, and treatment. We aimed to quantify these improvements by modelling the potential effect of sex worker programmes at two different intensities on HIV incidence and key health outcomes, and assessed the programmes' potential cost-effectiveness in order to help inform HIV policy decisions.