HIV/AIDS prevention through peer education and support in secondary schools in South Africa

The implementation and evaluation of a peer education and support programme in secondary schools to prevent and reduce high-risk sexual behaviour amongst adolescents is discussed. The aims of the programme were to provide accurate information about HIV/AIDS, discuss and reconsider peer group norms, and establish support for learners. In the programme that was implemented in 13 secondary schools in Tshwane, South Africa, peer educators were identified, trained and supported to implement the programme in their schools with the assistance of a teacher and postgraduate students as facilitators. Peer educators organised HIV awareness activities, facilitated class discussions on risk behaviour and gender relationships, and supported learners in solving personal problems. Process evaluation included weekly reports and focus group discussions with peer educators and teachers. A quasiexperimental design involving an experimental and control group, as well as pre- and post-assessments, was used to evaluate the impact of the programme on psychological well-being, personal control, school climate and reported high-risk behaviour of learners aged between 13 and 20 years. The results showed that the percentage of learners in the experimental group who were sexually experienced remained unchanged over the time period of 18 months. In contrast, a significantly increased percentage of learners in the control group were sexually experienced after the same time period. The control group also perceived more of their friends to be sexually experienced. No differences were reported in condom use in either of the groups. The findings of this study suggest that peer education can contribute to a delayed onset of sexual activity, and can therefore contribute to the prevention of HIV/AIDS amongst adolescents.     

学校艾滋病健康教育效果的系统评价

目的评价学校艾滋病健康教育对预防青少年感染艾滋病病毒(Human immunodeficiency virus,HIV)的有效性。方法系统检索国内外数据库,手工检索纳入文献的参考文献,检索时间到2011年9月。纳入以感染率或行为指标,评价学校艾滋病健康教育效果的随机对照试验(Randomized controlled trials,RCT)或非随机对照试验(Non-RCT)研究。评价纳入研究的质量后,定量描述结果,对指标进行Meta分析。结果共纳入RCT研究3个,Non-RCT研究1个。Meta分析显示,学校艾滋病健康教育和未干预比较,对青少年性行为的影响无差异,相对危险度(Relative risk,RR)值为1.25,95%可信区间(Confidence interval,CI)为0.77～2.03;学校艾滋病健康教育提高青少年相关知识的效果优于未干预,标准化均数差(Standard mean difference,SMD)为0.63,95%CI为0.15～1.11。结论当前缺乏学校艾滋病健康教育可降低青少年HIV感染的证据,尚无证据表明学校艾滋病健康教育促进青少年行为改变的效果优于未干预。学校健康教育可提高青少年艾滋病相关知识。     

Measuring change in vulnerable adolescents: Findings from a peer education evaluation in South Africa

Introduction: In the context of poverty and HIV and AIDS, peer education is thought to be capable of providing vulnerable youth with psychosocial support as well as information and decision-making skills otherwise limited by scarce social and material resources. As a preventative education intervention method, peer education is a strategy aimed at norms and peer group influences that affect health behaviours and attitudes. However, too few evaluations of peer-led programmes are available, and they frequently fail to reflect real differences between those who have been recipients of peer education and those who have not. This article reports on an evaluation of a pilot peer-led intervention, entitled Vhutshilo, implemented on principles agreed upon through a collaborative effort in South Africa by the Harvard School of Public Health and the Centre for the Support of Peer Education (the Rutanang collaboration). Vhutshilo targeted vulnerable adolescents aged 14–16 years living in some of South Africa's under-resourced communities. Methodology: The research design was a mixed-method (qualitative and quantitative), longitudinal, quasi-experimental evaluation. Tools used included a quantitative survey questionnaire (n?=?183) and semi-structured interviews (n?=?32) with beneficiaries of peer education. Surveys were administered twice for beneficiaries of peer education (n?=?73), immediately after completion of the programme (post-test) and 4 months later (delayed post-test), and once for control group members (n?=?110). The three main methodological limitations in this study were the use of a once-off control group assessment as the baseline for comparison, without a pre-test, due to timing and resource constraints; a small sample size (n?=?183), which reduced the statistical power of the evaluation; and the unavailability of existing tested survey questions to measure the impact of peer education and its role in behaviour change. Findings: This article reports on the difficulties of designing a comprehensive evaluation within time and financial constraints, critically evaluates survey design with multi-item indicators, and discusses six statistically significant changes observed in Vhutshilo participants out of a 92-point survey. Youth struggling with poor quality education and living in economically fraught contexts with little social support, nonetheless, showed evidence of having greater knowledge of support networks and an expanded emotional repertoire by the end of the Vhutshilo programme, and 4 months later. At both individual and group level, many with low socio-economic status showed great improvement with regard to programme indicator scores. Conclusion: For the poorest adolescents, especially those living in the rural parts of South Africa, peer education has the potential to change future orientation, attitudes and knowledge regarding HIV and AIDS, including an intolerance for multiple concurrent partnerships. When well organised and properly supported, peer education programmes (and the Vhutshilo curriculum, in particular) provide vulnerable youth with opportunities to develop psychosocial skills and informational resources that contribute to the changing of norms, attitudes and behaviours. However, the article also flags the need for effective peer education evaluations that take into account limited financial resources and that possess tested indicators of programme effectiveness.     

职校学生预防艾滋病同伴教育干预的过程评价及结果分析

目的探索适应于职业技术学校(职校)学生的同伴教育模式。方法采用观察法和问卷调查的方式,对同伴教育实施过程进行评价。结果同伴教育者培训后,艾滋病知识和态度得分明显提高(P<0.01)。过程中目标人群参与率接近100%,参与者对同伴教育者教学质量评分均高于4.5分(5分制),对同伴教育方法的喜欢程度评分为4.67分。学生担任同伴教育者在现场控制、培训深度等方面还存在不足。结论同伴教育的方式适用于职校的艾滋病健康教育。     

Ensuring an optimal environment for peer education in South African schools: Goals,systems, standards and policy options for effective learning

Peer education has long been seen as a key health promotion strategy and an important tool in preventing HIV infection. In South African schools, it is currently one of the strategies employed to do so. Based on both a recent research study of peer education across 35 schools and drawing on multiple previous studies in South Africa, this paper examines the key elements of peer education that contribute to its effectiveness and asks how this aligns with current educational and health policies. From this research, it summarises and proposes shared goals and aims, minimum standards of implementation and reflects on the necessary infrastructure required for peer education to be effective. In light of these findings, it offers policy recommendations regarding who should be doing peer education and the status peer education should have in a school’s formal programme.     

Peer acceleration: effects of a social network tailored substance abuse prevention program among high-risk adolescents

OBJECTIVE: To test whether a social network tailored substance abuse prevention program can reduce substance use among high-risk adolescents without creating deviancy training (iatrogenic effects). METHODS: A classroom randomized controlled trial comparing control classes with those receiving an evidence-based substance use prevention program [Towards No Drug Abuse (TND)] and TND Network, a peer-led interactive version of TND. Students (n = 541, mean age 16.3 years) in 75 classes from 14 alternative high schools completed surveys before and approximately 1 year after curriculum delivery. Past-month use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and cocaine were assessed. RESULTS: Overall, TND Network was effective in reducing substance use. However, the program effect interacted with peer influence and was effective mainly for students who had peer networks that did not use substances. Students with classroom friends who use substances were more likely to increase their use. CONCLUSIONS: A peer-led interactive substance abuse prevention program can accelerate peer influences. For students with a peer environment that supports non-use, the program was effective and reduced substance use. For students with a peer environment that supports substance use, an interactive program may have deleterious effects.     

校外青少年艾滋病应对社区同伴教育成功实践

目的总结在社区开展校外青少年艾滋病防治干预工作的经验,为今后大规模开展青少年干预活动提供科学依据。方法采用基线调查与干预后测试的横断面调查方法 ,通过利用混合式半开放结构式访谈问卷,对7个省项目点的5000多名校外青少年,进行干预前后对照评估。结果通过在社区开展艾滋病防治干预活动,使参与活动的校外青少年艾滋病知识知晓率和安全套使用率显著提高。他们中＂最后一次性行为使用安全套＂的比例从基线的27.67%提高到59.88%,增长了34.86%（χ2=34,86,P〈0.000）;而＂过去3个月每次性行为都使用安全套＂的比例从基线的24.77%提高到51.44%,增长了26.67%（χ2=37,70,P〈0.000）,其中,女性的改变比男性更为显著。结论研究提供的证据肯定了同伴教育做为校外青少年艾滋病应对的基本策略。然而,这个以多个省项目点为背景的广泛社区为基础的实践进一步表明,成功的同伴教育只有在社区组织的广泛参与和支持的框架中才能更为持久、有效和易于推广。     

UnPrEPed for HIV prevention services: Hesitancy among US primary care providers

Provision of HIV prevention services by primary care (PCP) healthcare providers is critical to reduce the number of new HIV infections. We examined the performance of HIV risk assessments and provision of HIV prevention services by PCPs. In our cohort, less than one-half of respondents asked about sex and drug use all or most of the time, and among those that did not routinely ask about sex and drug use only 66% and 59%, respectively, would ask given more time. Less than a quarter of respondents noted that HIV prevention services were part of their clinical practice. These findings demonstrate gaps in the provision of HIV prevention services by a key population of healthcare providers.     

A psychoeducational approach for prevention of burnout among teachers dealing with HIV/AIDS in South Africa

Teaching is one of the most stressful occupations, with high stress and burnout levels of teachers necessitating intervention. This is especially relevant for South African teachers tasked with additional responsibilities of dealing with HIV/AIDS issues, as well as attending to normal curricula duties. A burnout prevention intervention, based on Paulo Freire’s adult educational approach, using transpersonal psychology techniques, was introduced to HIV/AIDS coordinator teachers (n?=?27) at high-risk schools in the Western Cape, South Africa, who attended six three-hour weekly workshops. This paper presents the bottom-up thematic analyses of the group, as well as individual global analysis (n?=?10) of the qualitative data, derived from focus group interviews and workshop evaluations after the intervention, providing insights into the experiences of workshop participants and their teaching contexts. The mind map of one participant is illustrated. The findings of the study confirmed that transpersonal practices (TP) presented in psychoeducation workshops were helpful in mediating stress and burnout in the work and personal contexts of teachers dealing with HIV/AIDS. TP offer practical applications of right brain emotional and social intelligence practices that could be incorporated into care and wellness school programmes for teachers vulnerable to stressors related to HIV/AIDS.     

针具交换结合同伴宣传对注射吸毒人群吸毒行为的影响

目的通过同伴宣传和针具交换项目减少吸毒者的共用注射器行为，降低吸毒人群中艾滋病病毒的传播流行。方法通过卫生工作人员和同伴宣传员向吸毒者提供清洁针具并回收污染针具，发放宣传折页，张贴宣传画以及对吸毒者进行面对面的宣传等措施，在广西壮族自治区某县注射吸毒者中开展了为期一年的针具交换和同伴宣传项目。在干预前后分别进行基线和终期横断面调查，通过对比两次调查中吸毒者自我报告的高危注射行为等变化情况对于预效果进行评估。结果基线调查205人，终期调查234人。终期调查时吸毒者的针具共用率、水和容器的共用率分别为30．34％、33．33％和11．54％，均显著地低于基线调查(分别为60．59％、62．69％和61．00％)；同基线调查相比，终期调查中吸毒者的每日注射毒品次数也显著减少。结论针具交换结合同伴宣传干预措施不仅能显著减少吸毒者对针具、清洗水和容器等的共用行为，还能有效降低吸毒者的针具共用频率，同时并不会增加吸毒者的毒品注射次数。     

Conceptualizing and developing behavioral HIV prevention interventions for black gay men

ABSTRACT

In the United States, Black gay men continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV and their HIV incidence rates rival those of developing countries. Yet there are only two federally approved HIV prevention interventions that specifically target Black gay men. As a way of filling the gap, HIV/AIDS social workers can modify existing or develop “homegrown” behavioral HIV prevention interventions to assist their clients. This conceptual article outlines the authors’ eight-step process of developing a theory-based, gender- and culturally-appropriate behavioral intervention for Black gay men. This model can help social workers and agencies fill the need for “homegrown” HIV prevention interventions.     

Sexually transmitted infections and infectiousness beliefs among people living with HIV/AIDS: implications for HIV treatment as prevention

Objectives

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) significantly impact the health of people living with HIV/AIDS, increasing HIV infectiousness and therefore transmissibility. The current study examined STIs in a community sample of 490 HIV‐positive men and women.

Methods

Assessments were performed using confidential computerized interviews in a community research setting.

Results

Fourteen per cent of the people living with HIV/AIDS in this study had been diagnosed with a new STI in a 6‐month period. Individuals with a new STI had significantly more sexual partners in that time period, including non‐HIV‐positive partners. Participants who had contracted an STI were significantly more likely to have detectable viral loads and were less likely to know their viral load than participants who did not contract an STI. Multivariate analysis showed that believing an undetectable viral load leads to lower infectiousness was associated with contracting a new STI.

Conclusions

Individuals who believed that having an undetectable viral load reduces HIV transmission risks were more likely to be infectious because of STI coinfection. Programmes that aim to use HIV treatment for HIV prevention must address infectiousness beliefs and aggressively control STIs among people living with HIV/AIDS.     

The STEP into Action study: a peer-based, personal risk network-focused HIV prevention intervention with injection drug users in Baltimore, Maryland

Aims To assess the effectiveness of a peer‐based, personal risk network‐focused HIV prevention intervention to (i) train injection drug users (IDUs) to reduce injection and sex risk behaviors, (ii) conduct outreach to behaviorally risky individuals in their personal social networks [called risk network members (RNM)], and (iii) reduce RNM HIV risk behaviors. Design Randomized controlled trial with prospective data collection at 6, 12 and 18 months. Intervention condition consisted of five group sessions, one individual session and one session with Index and the RNM. Setting This study was conducted in Baltimore, Maryland from March 2004 to March 2006. Participants (i) Index participants were aged ≥18 years and self‐reported injection drug use in the prior 6 months and (ii) their RNM who were aged ≥18 years and drug users or sex partners of Index. Measurements Outcomes included: (i) injection risk based on sharing needles, cookers and cotton for injection and drug splitting, (ii) sex risk based on number of sex partners, condom use and exchanging sex and (iii) Index HIV outreach behaviors. Findings A total of 227 Index participants recruited 336 RNM. Retention of Index at 18‐month follow‐up exceeded 85%. Findings suggest that the experimental condition was efficacious at 18 months in reducing Index participant injection risk [odds ratio (OR) = 0.38; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.18–0.77), drug‐splitting risk (OR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.25–0.88) and sex risk among Index (OR = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.34–0.86). Significant intervention effect on increased condom use among female RNM was observed (OR = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.18–0.62). Conclusions Training active IDU to promote HIV prevention with behaviorally risky individuals in their networks is feasible, efficacious and sustainable.     

Achievement of interventions on HIV infection prevention among migrants in China: A meta-analysis

In China, migrants with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have become a serious problem in the field of AIDS prevention. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of interventions for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection prevention for migrants in China and to identify factors associated with intervention efficacy. A computerized literature search of the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan Fang, and PubMed databases was conducted to collect related articles published in China. Only self-control intervention studies or studies containing sections regarding self-control interventions wherein the method of intervention was health education were included. Rev Manager 5.3 software was used to analyze the intervention effects in terms of knowledge, attitude, and behavior indexes. Relative to pre-intervention, the HIV interventions showed statistically significant efficacy in terms of sexual transmission of HIV, condom use for HIV prevention, change in attitude towards HIV/AIDS patients, incidence of commercial sex behavior, and recent condoms use during sex (P?相似文献   

Pharmaceutical HIV prevention technologies in the UK: six domains for social science research

The development of pharmaceutical HIV prevention technologies (PPTs) over the last five years has generated intense interest from a range of stakeholders. There are concerns that these clinical and pharmaceutical interventions are proceeding with insufficient input of the social sciences. Hence key questions around implementation and evaluation remain unexplored whilst biomedical HIV prevention remains insufficiently critiqued or theorised from sociological as well as other social science perspectives. This paper presents the results of an expert symposium held in the UK to explore and build consensus on the role of the social sciences in researching and evaluating PPTs in this context. The symposium brought together UK social scientists from a variety of backgrounds. A position paper was produced and distributed in advance of the symposium and revised in the light this consultation phase. These exchanges and the emerging structure of this paper formed the basis for symposium panel presentations and break-out sessions. Recordings of all sessions were used to further refine the document which was also redrafted in light of ongoing comments from symposium participants. Six domains of enquiry for the social sciences were identified and discussed: self, identity and personal narrative; intimacy, risk and sex; communities, resistance and activism; systems, structures and institutions; economic considerations and analyses; and evaluation and outcomes. These are discussed in depth alongside overarching consensus points for social science research in this area as it moves forward.     

Economics of antiretroviral treatment vs. circumcision for HIV prevention

The HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 052 study, which showed the effectiveness of antiretroviral treatment in reducing HIV transmission, has been hailed as a “game changer” in the fight against HIV, prompting calls for scaling up treatment as prevention (TasP). However, it is unclear how TasP can be financed, given flat-lining support for global HIV programs. We assess whether TasP is indeed a game changer or if comparable benefits are obtainable at similar or lower cost by increasing coverage of medical male circumcision (MMC) and antiretroviral treatment (ART) at CD4 <350/μL. We develop a new mathematical model and apply it to South Africa, finding that high ART coverage combined with high MMC coverage provides approximately the same HIV incidence reduction as TasP, for $5 billion less over 2009–2020. MMC outperforms ART significantly in cost per infection averted ($1,096 vs. $6,790) and performs comparably in cost per death averted ($5,198 vs. $5,604). TasP is substantially less cost effective at $8,375 per infection and $7,739 per death averted. The prevention benefits of HIV treatment are largely reaped with high ART coverage. The most cost-effective HIV prevention strategy is to expand MMC coverage and then scale up ART, but the most cost-effective HIV-mortality reduction strategy is to scale up MMC and ART jointly. TasP is cost effective by commonly used absolute benchmarks but it is far less cost effective than MMC and ART. Given South Africa’s current annual ART spending, the $5 billion in savings offered by MMC and ART over TasP in the next decade, for similar health benefits, challenges the widely hailed status of TasP as a game changer.     

预防艾滋病公众健康教育效果评价指标体系的应用

目的检验“预防艾滋病公众健康教育效果评价指标体系”的科学性、实用性、可操作性,评价预防艾滋病公众健康教育的效果。方法采用查阅资料、个人访谈和问卷调查三种方法收集相应的资料,使用预防艾滋病公众健康教育效果评价指标体系进行效果评估。结果24个区县平均分为77.95分,7项指标的平均分高于4.5分,四项指标的平均分低于3分,指标“主动寻求预防艾滋病的相关信息”平均分最低,为1.79分。结论预防艾滋病公众健康教育离《中长期规划》、《行动计划》的要求有较大的差距,缺乏系统性、针对性,深度和广度不够,歧视现象严重。该指标体系简练,易操作,能比较全面地反映预防艾滋病公众健康教育的效果,但需要根据防治艾滋病工作的进展调整和完善。     

Evaluation of an HIV prevention intervention for women living with HIV

ABSTRACT

It is estimated that 23% of the adults and adolescents living with HIV in the United States are female. The Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funds evidence-based interventions (EBIs) to reduce HIV risk behaviors, including HIV prevention programs for people living with HIV and their partners. While EBIs have been shown to be effective in controlled research environments, there are limited data on intervention implementation in real-world settings. Women Involved in Life Learning from Other Women (WILLOW) is a four-session small-group intervention that targets heterosexual women aged 18–50 who are living with HIV. This evaluation assessed changes in participants’ HIV knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and risk behaviors. A repeated measures design was used to collect participant risk behaviors at baseline, and again at three and six months post-intervention. Changes in attitudes, beliefs, and risk behaviors were assessed using generalized estimating equations. After participation in WILLOW, participants reported increased HIV knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, being more supportive of condom use, and reduced prevalence of HIV risk behaviors. Findings suggest that the WILLOW intervention can be successfully delivered by community-based organizations to reduce HIV risk behaviors among members of this high-risk population.     

Opportunities for technology-based HIV prevention programming among high school students in Cape Town,South Africa

One in three new cases of HIV in South Africa is among adolescents. Given that adolescents are particularly affected, scalable, and cost-effective prevention programs are urgently needed. This study aims to identify opportunities to integrate technology into youth HIV prevention efforts. In 2012, 1107 8th–11th graders completed a paper-and-pencil survey. Respondents were enrolled in one of three public high schools in Langa, a lower income community in Cape Town, South Africa. Eighty-nine percent of respondents have used text messaging (SMS) and 86% have gone online. If an HIV prevention program was offered online, 66% of youth would be somewhat or extremely likely to access it; slightly fewer (55%) felt the same about SMS-based programming. In comparison, 85% said they would be somewhat or extremely likely to access a school-based HIV prevention program. Interest in Internet- (60%) and SMS-based (54%) HIV prevention programming was similar for youth who had a self-appraised risk of HIV compared to youth who appraised their risk to be lower, as it was for youth who were tired of hearing messages about HIV prevention. Technology use is common – even among high school students who live in lower income communities. At the same time, these data reveal that it is not uncommon for youth to be tired of hearing messages about HIV prevention, and many of the typical topics key to HIV prevention have low interest levels among youth. HIV prevention researchers need to be mindful of the extent of existing programming that youth are exposed to. Technology-based programming may be especially amenable to meeting these requirements because of its novelty especially in developing countries, and because interactive functionality can be easily integrated into the program design. Given the preference for school- and Internet-based programming, it seems that a hybrid approach is likely feasible and acceptable.