Preliminary Findings of an Adapted Evidence-Based Woman-Focused HIV Intervention on Condom Use and Negotiation Among At-Risk Women in Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

This article presents the results of a randomized trial in South Africa of an adapted evidence-based Woman-Focused intervention on condom use with primary sex partners. The preliminary findings show that regardless of HIV status, condom negotiation was significantly associated with condom use at the 3- and 6-month follow-ups. By intervention group, significant intervention effects were found at 6-month follow-up for HIV-positive and HIV-unknown status women in the Woman-Focused intervention who were more likely than women in the Standard intervention to report condom use with a primary male partner. Among HIV-positive women, those in the Woman-Focused group and those with greater sexual control were more likely to report condom use at the 6-month follow-up. The findings indicate that gender-based interventions for women may result in increased condom negotiation skills.

KEYWORDS:

• condom negotiation
• condom use
• HIV risk
• sex workers
• sexual control
• South Africa
• woman-focused intervention

We thank all of our field staff in Pretoria, South Africa, and the women participants who made this article possible. This research was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) under grant number R01 AA14488 to RTI International.

Notes

Note. ^a Contains some missing data.

^b HIV tested (n = 354); Previous test by self-report (n = 96).

Note. ^a Due to missing data on variables of interest, the analytic sample is greatly reduced. ∗p < .05.

RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute.