TAPS
Expanded use of ART for treatment and prevention in female sex workers in South Africa: a demonstration project.
Objective
The overall goal of the TAPS project is to determine whether an integrated intervention of oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and testing followed by treatment irrespective of immune status as measured by CD4 (‘immediate treatment’), can be feasibly implemented and is acceptable within a combination prevention and care approach tailored to the needs of South African female sex workers (FSWs), in the context of limited health system resources.
Description
There are four objectives:
- Conduct a demonstration project integrating PrEP and ‘immediate treatment’ into service delivery programs tailored to FSWs.
- Conduct a qualitative evaluation of the demonstration project to assess user and provider perceptions, attitudes, preferences, practices and beliefs as well as user adherence as related to the uptake and use of PrEP and ‘immediate treatment’.
- Conduct a costing study to assess resource implications of the introduction of PrEP and ‘immediate treatment’ on existing services.
- Evaluate the impact of PrEP and ‘immediate treatment’ on the HIV epidemic in FSWs in South Africa using an epidemiological transmission model designed and parametrised specifically for this population.
AIGHD Research Lead
Gabriela Gomez
Funders
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Countries
South Africa