Dube, Karine;
Mthimkhulu, Deli;
Ngcobo, Wiseman;
Mindry, Deborah;
Maphalala, Luyanda;
Pillay, Vanessa;
Tran, Whitney;
... Dong, Krista; + view all
(2023)
'With this study, we have hope that something is coming': community members' perceptions of HIV cure-related research in Durban, South Africa - a qualitative focus group study.
HIV Research & Clinical Practice
, 24
(1)
, Article 2243046. 10.1080/25787489.2023.2243046.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Developing a cure for HIV remains a global scientific priority. In 2022, the Females Rising through Education, Support and Health (FRESH) cohort launched an HIV cure-related trial involving an analytical treatment interruption (ATI) in Durban, South Africa. OBJECTIVES: To explore community perspectives about HIV cure-related research. METHODS: Between July-August 2022, we conducted three focus groups with community members. We transcribed audio recordings verbatim and used content analysis to analyze the data. RESULTS: Twenty community members (13 women and 7 men) participated in three focus groups (HIV status not included). Participants viewed HIV cure-related research as a way to address the issue of defaulting on (not taking) HIV treatment. Participants expressed hesitancy around ATIs, since these contradict longstanding treatment adherence messages. Participants shared concerns around the risk of side effects from experimental interventions balanced against potential efficacy. They advocated for trial participants to have the right to decide whether to inform their sex partners about their HIV status and ATI participation, rather than research teams making disclosure mandatory. Focus group participants also emphasized the importance of using simple language to explain HIV cure-related research. CONCLUSIONS: With HIV cure trials set to launch across Africa in the future, there is a critical need to better understand and respond to local community needs and preferences and to adopt this as standard practice prior to regional trial implementation.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | 'With this study, we have hope that something is coming': community members' perceptions of HIV cure-related research in Durban, South Africa - a qualitative focus group study |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1080/25787489.2023.2243046 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1080/25787489.2023.2243046 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent. |
| Keywords: | HIV cure research, women, analytical treatment interruptions, community perceptions, Sub-Saharan Africa |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Infection and Immunity |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10180822 |
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