The PrEPARE Project: Prevention, Empowering, and Protecting Young Women in South Africa

The Health Policy Project (HPP) training curriculum provides participatory training modules that address three key actionable drivers of HIV-stigma. The HPP curriculum was adapted through participatory workshops with key stakeholders representing clinics, study staff, and adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) and other formative activities. The training is a whole-site training to address barriers to accessing clinical services by AGYW. Consequently, staff at all levels (clinical and nonclinical) will be trained on stigma and discrimination as it relates to AGYW in order to reduce stigma-related barriers to healthcare and increase uptake of PrEP and sexual and reproductive health services among AGYW.

In this study, researchers adapted the Young Women's Health CoOp (YWHC) evidence-based empowerment intervention that addresses issues of gender-based violence (GBV), substance use, and sexual risk to include information about PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and sexual and reproductive health. AGYW will be provided with comprehensive information and will engage in activities that seek to reduce HIV risk factors and increase PrEP readiness, uptake and adherence.