Couples Health CoOp Plus

Plain-language summary

This study addresses HIV prevention and treatment for young couples living in Cape Town, South Africa, through a comprehensive biobehavioral multilevel approach-the Couples Health CoOp Plus (CHC+). Through a cluster randomized trial with a modified factorial design, 24 Cape Town communities consisting of catchment areas for clinics that provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), received either a stigma awareness and education workshop or no workshop with repeated measures. Within clinic catchment areas, 481 couples (young women and their primary male sex partners both aged 18 to 30) were recruited. These couples received HIV testing services (HTS) and/or the Couples Health CoOp Plus (CHC+), depending on their intervention arm. The overarching aim of these interventions is to prevent new cases of HIV. It is hypothesized that communities that are assigned to the stigma awareness and education workshop will demonstrate higher levels of social acceptance and fewer cases of enacted/experienced stigma at the community level. Additionally, it is expected couples assigned to the Couples Health CoOp Plus (CHC+) intervention will have greater antiretroviral therapy (ART)/pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) initiation and adherence, lower alcohol and other drug (AOD) use, less sexual risk, less violence, and more positive relationship norms and communication. Specifically, the study aims to: Aim 1: Modify the Couples Health CoOp (CHC) intervention to include antiretroviral therapy (ART)/pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in a formative phase and with review from the Community Collaborative Board (CCB) and Peer Advisory Board (PAB). Aim 2: Evaluate the impact of a stigma awareness and education workshop on community members' attitudes and behaviors toward young women and men who use AODs and other people seeking HIV services (testing/ART/PrEP) and other health services at 4- and 8-month follow-up. Aim 3: Test the efficacy of the Couples Health CoOp Plus (CHC+) to increase both partners' antiretroviral therapy (ART)/pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) initiation and adherence (primary outcome) and reduce alcohol and other drug (AOD) use, sexual risk and violence, and enhance positive relationship norms and communication relative to HIV testing services (HTS) (secondary outcomes). Aim 4: Examine through mixed methods the interaction of a stigma awareness and education workshop and the Couples Health CoOp Plus (CHC+) on increased antiretroviral therapy (ART)/pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and initiation, retention, and adherence among young women and their primary partners.

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