Feasibility and acceptability of Project Connect: A couples-based HIV-risk reduction intervention among young couples in Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract

Given the importance of couples to the transmission of HIV, interventions focusing on both members of a partnership can play an important role in its prevention. We adapted and pilot-tested Project Connect, an evidence-based HIV prevention intervention for couples, to determine its acceptability and feasibility among a sample of young urban South African couples. We recruited couples from a clinic in inner-city Johannesburg to take part in the study. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were conducted at baseline and postintervention; an in-depth interview (IDI) was also conducted postintervention. Of 75 couples screened, 15 were eligible and enrolled. An important reason for ineligibility was a recent history of intimate partner violence (IPV). Couples attended, on average, five of the seven sessions. Overall, the intervention was acceptable and showed signs of potential efficacy. Couples reported enjoying Connect and feeling comfortable with its content. Participants also reported learning important communication and problem-solving skills, which resulted in more effective engagement in HIV prevention behaviors. However, the number of sessions and strict eligibility criteria proved challenging to the feasibility of the study. We recommend future couples' interventions have fewer sessions and enroll couples with a history of IPV.

Keywords:

• HIV
• couples
• Africa
• prevention
• intimate partner violence

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr Nora Rosenberg for her help in setting up this project, Zanele Dubazana who counselled all of the couples as part of the study, and Dr Nabila El-Bassel and colleagues at Columbia University who provided training to our team and helpful advice when planning this study. Research reported in this publication was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number 5R21HD058288–02 and the National Institutes of Health Training in Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV Award Number T32 AI007001. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.