title: Feasibility and acceptability of Project Connect: a couples-based HIV-risk reduction intervention among young couples in Johannesburg, South Africa.
abstract: Given the importance of couples to the transmission of HIV, interventions focusing on both members of a partnership can play an important role in its prevention. We adapted and pilot-tested Project Connect, an evidence-based HIV prevention intervention for couples, to determine its acceptability and feasibility among a sample of young urban South African couples. We recruited couples from a clinic in inner-city Johannesburg to take part in the study. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were conducted at baseline and postintervention; an in-depth interview (IDI) was also conducted postintervention. Of 75 couples screened, 15 were eligible and enrolled. An important reason for ineligibility was a recent history of intimate partner violence (IPV). Couples attended, on average, five of the seven sessions. Overall, the intervention was acceptable and showed signs of potential efficacy. Couples reported enjoying Connect and feeling comfortable with its content. Participants also reported learning important communication and problem-solving skills, which resulted in more effective engagement in HIV prevention behaviors. However, the number of sessions and strict eligibility criteria proved challenging to the feasibility of the study. We recommend future couples' interventions have fewer sessions and enroll couples with a history of IPV.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill , NC , USA.
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pettifor
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: MacPhail
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Jabu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sibeko
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D003256:Community Participation; D003376:Counseling; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011340:Problem Solving; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D013019:South Africa; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult