Abstract:

The HERStory Study is an evaluation of this intervention, conducted by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and partners. The primary objective of the HERStory Study is to determine the intervention impact on HIV incidence over a two-year period. Secondary objectives include assessing the intervention impact on the prevention of behaviours that put AGYW at risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and the impact of the intervention on the cognitions and social environments of AGYW. The HERStory Study quantitative evaluation study design includes two consecutive cross-sectional household surveys conducted two years apart, to detect changes in HIV incidence using a laboratory testing algorithm comprising the bio-assays for determining recent infections, the Limiting Antigen Avidity Enzyme Immunosorbent Assay (LAg Avidity EIA). A sample of 14000 AGYW aged 15 to 24 years per survey was planned, which gives 80% power to detect a 33% reduction in HIV incidence from 3% to 2% over two years. The study design also includes qualitative research to complement the quantitative evaluation, to provide an in-depth understanding of changes in risk and protective factors related to HIV acquisition among AGYW and to identify gaps and challenges in the intervention components and their implementation as well as ways to revise and improve the intervention and its implementation. This report only includes results of the first survey, conducted in 2017 to 2018. The qualitative findings and second survey results will be reported separately.

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