Multi-level Interventions to Promote Oral Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Use Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women: a Review of Recent Research
Elizabeth Irungu, Nomhle Khoza, Jennifer Velloza
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review summarizes interventions to promote HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in HIV endemic settings, while also highlighting gaps in our current measures of PrEP intervention success. RECENT FINDINGS: AGYW report challenges with PrEP use, although the field is currently grappling with defining metrics of optimal PrEP use applicable for AGYW with dynamic HIV prevention needs. Ongoing studies are exploring multilevel interventions to address barriers to PrEP use for AGYW. At the individual and interpersonal levels, mHealth, drug-level feedback, adherence counseling, peer groups, and PrEP decision-support interventions are acceptable and feasible for AGYW although limited effectiveness data are available. At the health facility and community levels, PrEP demand creation, modified PrEP refill schedules, and integrated PrEP and reproductive health services are also promising options to support PrEP use for AGYW. As PrEP delivery continues to expand, improved metrics of success and evidence on the effectiveness of multi-level adherence support interventions are needed to maximize the impact of PrEP for AGYW in HIV endemic settings. We present case studies of these intervention approaches but limited data are currently available on the effectiveness of these approaches. We will look toward forthcoming study results on the impact of PrEP interventions, including mHealth, drug-level feedback and other enhanced counseling, peer support, decision-support tools, PrEP demand creation, modified refills, and integrated service delivery, to determine the ideal package of PrEP support approaches for AGYW.