Strategies to prevent HIV infections among women in the Ditsobotla Municipality of the North West Province, South Africa
Phakedi, Lebotse Stephen
The status of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) among women in South Africa is
worrisome. Imbalances in power relations between men and women subject women to
perpetual vulnerability to HIV infection whilst effective preventative interventions are
lacking. Whilst antiretrovirals (ARVs) are successful in treating HIV, they are not vaccines.
This study sought to identify new strategies that can be employed to prevent HIV
infections among women in the Ditsobotla Municipality, North West (NW) Province, South
Africa. This study applied the narrative research design. The study population comprised
Health officials, Social Development officials, councillors, CBO representatives and
Police officials residing in Ditsobotla Local Municipality. The researcher used a purposive
sampling method to identify key informants from the population sample. A sample of 22
participants contributed to the study. Semi-structured interviews were employed to collect
primary data from key informants using the ZOoom virtual platform. The study employed
content analysis, which involved coding and arranging the data into chunks of information
and categories. Setswana and English languages were used in this study. The results
showed five main factors fuelling the spread of HIV: violence against women, inconsistent
use of condoms and other prevention methods, abuse of alcohol and drug substances,
multiple sex partners, and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS. Whilst there are existing HIV
prevention interventions in Ditsobotla, such as condom distribution, small group
counselling known as "You Only Live Once" (YOLO), and post-exposure prophylaxis
(PrEP), their coverage remains sub-optimal, putting women at risk of HIV infection. The
study recommends creating an enabling environment for comprehensive HIV services for
women: enhancing the implementation of combination prevention interventions and an
integrated HIV services approach, including PrEP, condom promotion and male
involvement; optimising education for young girls; harnessing empowerment of women
as the cornerstone to changing the HIV epidemic; leveraging telehealth as the digital
information and communication technological solutions; leveraging the availability of an
integrated M&E framework.
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