Training Years: 2016-2017
Training Site: CIDER, University of Cape Town
Country: South Africa
Mentor: Landon Myer, MD, PhD
Title: Evaluating sexual behaviors and access to safer conception interventions for HIV-infected and HIV- negative at risk pre-partum, pregnant and post-partum women in Western Cape, South Africa
Project Objectives:
Hypothesis 1: HIV-infected and HIV-negative at-risk women trying to get pregnant, pregnant or postpartum practice riskier sexual behaviors (e.g. use condoms less, and have more sex partners) and higher STI rates than women who are not pregnant, trying to get pregnant or post-partum.
Hypothesis 2: HIV-infected and HIV-negative at-risk women trying to get pregnant, pregnant or postpartum are more likely to have incident STIs compared with women who are not pregnant, trying to get pregnant or post-partum.
Aim 1: To evaluate sexual behaviors and STI rates among HIV-infected and HIV-negative at-risk women during pre-partum, pregnancy and postpartum (within 12-months of giving birth) periods.
Hypothesis 1: Awareness of safer conception services among HIV-infected and HIV-negative women with male partners is limited, especially among younger, less educated women who are pregnant or want to have children.
Hypothesis 2: Access to safer conception services is limited to ART for the HIV infected partner. Other methods of safer conception, including timed vaginal intercourse and PrEP, are not widely accessible to HIV infected and serodiscordant couples wishing to have children.
Aim 2: To evaluate awareness of and access to safer conception services among HIV-infected and HIV-negative women with HIV-infected male partners who are pregnant, or seeking to become pregnant.
NIH Support: Fogarty fellowship postdoctoral training award
Career Development Award: K01 TW011187 (2018-2023) Evaluation Of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Cascade In Pregnant And Breastfeeding Women In Cape Town, South Africa
