Publication Details

AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS

SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH

medicine

FOSTERING ACCESS TO PREP AMONG ADOLESCENT GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN AGED 16 TO 24 YEARS AT HIGH RISK OF HIV THROUGH THE DREAMS INITIATIVE IN FOUR DISTRICTS IN ZAMBIA

AIDS Education and Prevention, Volume 35, Year 2023

Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in sub-Saharan Africa remain at high risk for HIV, yet limited data exist on implementation of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for this group. We examined PrEP uptake among AGYW using a retrospective cohort enrolled in the Determined Resilient Empowered AIDS-free Mentored Safe (DREAMS) initiative in Zambia between October 2020 and March 2022. Consent was obtained from eligible AGYW at substantial risk for HIV, and they voluntarily par-ticipated in PrEP. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with PrEP refills following initiation. Of 4,162 HIV-negative AGYW, 3,233 (77%) were at substantial risk and initiated on PrEP. Overall, 68% of AGYW had at least one refill, but this differed significantly by age group and district. DREAMS was successful at reaching AGYW with PrEP services. More evidence is needed to assess reasons for discontinuation and to improve persistence for those with sustained HIV risk.

Statistics
Citations: 26
Authors: 26
Affiliations: 5
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Infectious Diseases
Study Design
Cohort Study
Study Locations
Zambia
Participants Gender
Female