Womandla Health: development and rationale of a behavioral intervention to support HIV treatment adherence among postpartum women in South Africa

Abstract Background While Option B + has made great strides in eliminating vertical transmission of HIV and improving access to lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) for women, the postpartum period remains a risk period for disengagement from HIV care and non-adherence. Methods Longitudinal qualita...

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Main Authors: Jennifer A. Pellowski, Destry Jensen, Nokwazi Tsawe, Christopher Colvin, Susan Cu-Uvin, Don Operario, Mark Lurie, Abigail Harrison, Landon Myer, Lucia Knight
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2023-12-01
Series:BMC Women's Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-023-02817-y
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author Jennifer A. Pellowski
Destry Jensen
Nokwazi Tsawe
Christopher Colvin
Susan Cu-Uvin
Don Operario
Mark Lurie
Abigail Harrison
Landon Myer
Lucia Knight
author_facet Jennifer A. Pellowski
Destry Jensen
Nokwazi Tsawe
Christopher Colvin
Susan Cu-Uvin
Don Operario
Mark Lurie
Abigail Harrison
Landon Myer
Lucia Knight
author_sort Jennifer A. Pellowski
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background While Option B + has made great strides in eliminating vertical transmission of HIV and improving access to lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) for women, the postpartum period remains a risk period for disengagement from HIV care and non-adherence. Methods Longitudinal qualitative data was collected from 30 women living with HIV in Cape Town, South Africa from pregnancy through 1 year postpartum to examine key barriers and facilitators to HIV treatment adherence across this transition. Participants were also asked about their preferences for behavioral intervention content, format, and scope. The intervention development process was guided by Fernandez et al.’s Intervention Mapping process and was informed by the qualitative data, the wider literature on ART adherence, and Transition Theory. Results The Womandla Health Intervention is a multicomponent intervention consisting of four individual sessions with a lay health worker and four peer group sessions, which span late pregnancy and early postpartum. These sessions are guided by Transition Theory and utilize motivational interviewing techniques to empower women to ascertain their own individual barriers to HIV care and identify solutions and strategies to overcome these barriers. Conclusions This intervention will be tested in a small scale RCT. If successful, findings will provide an innovative approach to HIV treatment by capitalizing on the transition into motherhood to bolster self-care behaviors, focusing on ART adherence and also women’s overall postpartum health and psychosocial needs.
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spelling doaj.art-ed71bad862634d35b08b30df5d97193e2023-12-10T12:29:58ZengBMCBMC Women's Health1472-68742023-12-0123111010.1186/s12905-023-02817-yWomandla Health: development and rationale of a behavioral intervention to support HIV treatment adherence among postpartum women in South AfricaJennifer A. Pellowski0Destry Jensen1Nokwazi Tsawe2Christopher Colvin3Susan Cu-Uvin4Don Operario5Mark Lurie6Abigail Harrison7Landon Myer8Lucia Knight9School of Public Health, Brown UniversitySchool of Public Health, Brown UniversitySchool of Public Health, University of Cape TownSchool of Public Health, University of Cape TownThe Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown UniversityRollins School of Public Health, Emory UniversitySchool of Public Health, Brown UniversitySchool of Public Health, Brown UniversitySchool of Public Health, University of Cape TownSchool of Public Health, University of Cape TownAbstract Background While Option B + has made great strides in eliminating vertical transmission of HIV and improving access to lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) for women, the postpartum period remains a risk period for disengagement from HIV care and non-adherence. Methods Longitudinal qualitative data was collected from 30 women living with HIV in Cape Town, South Africa from pregnancy through 1 year postpartum to examine key barriers and facilitators to HIV treatment adherence across this transition. Participants were also asked about their preferences for behavioral intervention content, format, and scope. The intervention development process was guided by Fernandez et al.’s Intervention Mapping process and was informed by the qualitative data, the wider literature on ART adherence, and Transition Theory. Results The Womandla Health Intervention is a multicomponent intervention consisting of four individual sessions with a lay health worker and four peer group sessions, which span late pregnancy and early postpartum. These sessions are guided by Transition Theory and utilize motivational interviewing techniques to empower women to ascertain their own individual barriers to HIV care and identify solutions and strategies to overcome these barriers. Conclusions This intervention will be tested in a small scale RCT. If successful, findings will provide an innovative approach to HIV treatment by capitalizing on the transition into motherhood to bolster self-care behaviors, focusing on ART adherence and also women’s overall postpartum health and psychosocial needs.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-023-02817-yHIVPregnancyPostpartumBehavioral intervention
spellingShingle Jennifer A. Pellowski
Destry Jensen
Nokwazi Tsawe
Christopher Colvin
Susan Cu-Uvin
Don Operario
Mark Lurie
Abigail Harrison
Landon Myer
Lucia Knight
Womandla Health: development and rationale of a behavioral intervention to support HIV treatment adherence among postpartum women in South Africa
BMC Women's Health
HIV
Pregnancy
Postpartum
Behavioral intervention
title Womandla Health: development and rationale of a behavioral intervention to support HIV treatment adherence among postpartum women in South Africa
title_full Womandla Health: development and rationale of a behavioral intervention to support HIV treatment adherence among postpartum women in South Africa
title_fullStr Womandla Health: development and rationale of a behavioral intervention to support HIV treatment adherence among postpartum women in South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Womandla Health: development and rationale of a behavioral intervention to support HIV treatment adherence among postpartum women in South Africa
title_short Womandla Health: development and rationale of a behavioral intervention to support HIV treatment adherence among postpartum women in South Africa
title_sort womandla health development and rationale of a behavioral intervention to support hiv treatment adherence among postpartum women in south africa
topic HIV
Pregnancy
Postpartum
Behavioral intervention
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-023-02817-y
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