Clinical Trials Directory

Trials / Completed

CompletedNCT02974998

Cape Town Young Women's Health CoOp

Expanding HIV Testing and Prevention to Reach Vulnerable Young Women

Status
Completed
Phase
N/A
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
500 (actual)
Sponsor
RTI International · Academic / Other
Sex
Female
Age
16 Years – 19 Years
Healthy volunteers
Accepted

Summary

This two-arm cluster randomized trial tested a gender-focused comprehensive HIV testing and counselling (HTC) program, the Young Women's Health CoOp (YWHC) with a standard HTC program and targeted female adolescents (aged 16-19) who use substances and have dropped out of school. To evaluate the process, the study examined the feasibility of using peer role models as recruiters and co-facilitators of the intervention and monitored fidelity to the intervention. Efficacy of the intervention on behavioral and biological outcomes, and on linkages to health services, through follow-up visits conducted 6- and 12-months post-enrollment was also assessed.

Detailed description

The purpose of this study was to test a gender-focused comprehensive HIV testing and counselling (HTC) program, the Young Women's Health CoOp (YWHC) with a standard HTC program in 24 disadvantaged communities in Cape Town, South Africa. The researchers conducted community-level randomization across the 24 communities with balanced recruitment from predominantly Black African and predominantly Coloured communities. The aims of the study were: Aim 1. To train and evaluate adolescent peer role models to conduct community outreach with established outreach workers to recruit 500 out-of-school, substance-using female adolescents aged 16 to 19 for HIV testing and counseling (HTC) and to co-facilitate a gender-focused comprehensive HTC program. Aim 2. To test the efficacy of a young women's gender-focused comprehensive HTC program for reducing substance use, victimization, and sexual risk behavior (primary outcomes) and improving access to effective treatment and support services through linkages to care (substance abuse treatment, HIV, sexually transmitted infections \[STIs\], antenatal and reproductive health as secondary outcomes) relative to standard HTC for adolescent females. The Young Women's Health CoOp has been adapted from the South African Women's Health CoOp (WHC) and the North Carolina Young Women's CoOp (YWC) which was found acceptable in focus groups and maintained all the core elements of the evidence-based intervention. For this study, the intervention was co-facilitated by trained staff from the local communities. The intervention consisted of two 1.5-hour group workshops (sessions), each having several modules that are usually administered a week apart: Workshop 1: Developmental Issues and Alcohol and Other Drugs; Gender, Problem-Solving and Conflict Negotiation, Violence and Values and Becoming a Powerful Young Woman: and Workshop 2: STIs, HIV/AIDS, Prevention, Condoms and Role-play. After each session, each participant developed a risk-reduction personalized action plan (PAP). To maintain PAP goals and reduce decay of intervention effects over time, the staff conducted case management to help participants attain these personal goals. Participants completed baseline, 6-month follow-up and 12-month follow-up assessments, which included a survey and biological testing for substance use, pregnancy and HIV.

Conditions

Interventions

TypeNameDescription
BEHAVIORALYoung Women's Health CoOp (YWHC)Participants received HTC and engaged in a two-session gender-focused intervention. The intervention included information addressing the intersection of substance use, sexual risk, and violence through skill building, role-play, and rehearsal. The intervention also encouraged positive goal-seeking to access linkages to health care within the larger social ecological framework of where the young women live.
BEHAVIORALStandard HTCParticipants received the standard HTC available in South Africa for this population.

Timeline

Start date
2016-11-01
Primary completion
2019-11-26
Completion
2019-11-26
First posted
2016-11-29
Last updated
2025-01-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: South Africa

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT02974998. Inclusion in this directory is not an endorsement.