title: Short message service (SMS)-based intervention to improve treatment adherence among HIV-positive youth in Uganda: focus group findings.
abstract: This paper presents one of the first qualitative studies to discuss programmatic barriers to SMS-based interventions for HIV-positive youth and discusses pathways through which youth perceive them to work. We conducted six focus groups with 20 male and 19 female HIV-positive youths in two clinics in Kampala, Uganda. We find that youth commonly use SMS as over 90% of this study's youths knew how to read, write and send messages and almost three-fourths of them had phones. Youth strongly felt that the success of this intervention hinged on ensuring confidentiality about their HIV-positive status. Key programmatic challenges discussed where restrictions on phone use and phone sharing that could exclude some youth. Participants felt that the intervention would improve their adherence by providing them with needed reminders and social support. Youths' suggestions about intervention logistics related to content, frequency, timing and two-way messages will be helpful to practitioners in the field.
authors.affiliation: RAND Health, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Yashodhara
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rana
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Global Health, Boston, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haberer
authors.affiliation: RAND Health, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Haijing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Institute, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kambugu
authors.affiliation: Mildmay Uganda, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mukasa
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Harsha
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thirumurthy
authors.affiliation: Mildmay Uganda, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wabukala
authors.affiliation: RAND Health, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Glenn J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: RAND Health, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Linnemayr
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D040421:Cell Phone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006678:HIV / Q000502:physiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D010349:Patient Compliance; D036301:Qualitative Research; D017010:Reminder Systems; D060145:Text Messaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014454:Uganda; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents