social support
The impact of HIV couple testing and counseling on social support among pregnant women and their partners in Lilongwe, Malawi: an observational study
Couples HIV testing and counseling (couple counseling) promotes safer sexual behaviors, increases communication between couples, and decreases HIV transmission. However, the impact of couple counseling on social support, critical for persons living with HIV, has not been examined. Ninety couples with a recently tested HIV-positive pregnant woman (female-positive couples) and 47 couples with a recently tested HIV-negative pregnant woman (female-negative couples) were enrolled in an observational study at an antenatal clinic in Malawi.
Sources of social support and sexual behaviour advice for young adults in rural South Africa
"My mother told me that I should not": a qualitative study exploring the restrictions placed on adolescent girls living with HIV in Zambia
Adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa are disproportionately affected by HIV due to a range of social and structural factors. As they transition to adulthood, they are recipients of increasing blame for HIV infection and 'improper' sex, as well as increasing scrutiny, restrictions and surveillance. This study used a qualitative and participatory approach to explore the messaging and restrictions imposed on adolescent girls living with HIV in Zambia.
HIV-risk behaviors and social support among men and women attending alcohol-serving venues in South Africa: Implications for HIV prevention
Alcohol use is associated with increased HIV-risk behaviors, including unprotected sex and number of sex partners. Alcohol-serving venues can be places to engage in HIV-related sexual risk behaviors, but are also important sites of social support for patrons, which may mitigate risks. We sought to examine the relationship between alcohol-serving venue attendance, social support, and HIV-related sexual risk behavior, by gender, in South Africa.
Zambia: Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program: Lessons Learned from the Pilot Test Program
This 16-page programme report shares insights from the assessment of a pilot project in Zambia to use a "Safe Spaces” approach to build girls' "social assets" to reduce their vulnerability to gender-based violence, unsafe sex, unwanted pregnancy, HIV infection, and early marriage.