‘Why would you promote something that is less percent safer than a condom?’: Perspectives on partially effective HIV prevention technologies among key populations in South Africa

Figures & data

Table 1. Key findings and implications for NPTs in South Africa.

Key findings	Population group	Implications
Few participants framed partial effectiveness in a positive light and concurrent usage of NPTs was not well understood	Participants and KIs	The ‘toolkit’ approach to combination HIV prevention needs to be more clearly explained to responsible personnel – doctors, nurses, counsellors and policymakers – charged with advocating and explaining this approach to the general public and key populations
HCWs expressed concerns that NPTs will result in risk compensation	KIs	Communication and supports for HCWs need to explicitly address their concerns about risk compensation behaviour among key populations and collaborate in developing effective prevention messages
Partial effectiveness is interpreted as also signifying uncertain product safety, an unfinished product	Participants and KIs	Safety concerns that may have arisen in response to experiences or knowledge of previous trials should be explicitly addressed; communicators may harness the benefits of mental models or metaphors to convey partially effective products as nevertheless fully safe

NPT: new prevention technology.