Young Women's Health CoOp (Cooperative) in Cape Town

This study is testing and validating both the revised instrument and adapted intervention through a small pilot trial where a cluster randomized design is used to recruit 100 participants through snowball sampling by community to either the YWHC condition or standard HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT); collect biological specimens to screen for recent drug use, pregnancy and HIV infection and provide referrals for care to resources; conduct process evaluation measures for satisfaction and a 1-month follow-up post-intervention interview assessing the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of conducting this intervention among vulnerable young women and linking them to care.

Young women from disadvantaged communities in Cape Town who have dropped out of school and who use AODs are highly vulnerable to physical victimization (violence and sexual victimization) from any perpetrator, including main sexual partners and drug-related sexual risks for HIV. Yet these vulnerable young women remain underserved by current HIV and drug treatment programs in the region, even though they are experiencing the greatest burden of new HIV infections in the country. The adapted Young Women's Health CoOp (YWHC) intervention has a high likelihood of wider implementation, sustainability, and a significant public health impact by reducing the exceedingly high HIV incidence amongst the most vulnerable populations in South Africa.

Inclusion criteria

• Female, 16 to 21 years of age
• Dropped out of school for at least 6 months
• Currently dropped out of school
• Have not completed matric or N 3 certificate
• Have used at least one drug (which can include alcohol) at least weekly in the past 90 days
• Report unprotected sex with a male partner in the last 90 days
• Able to provide informed assent to participate or informed consent if at least 18 years old
• Live in a targeted community Delft, Khayelitsha, or Mfuleni

Exclusion criteria

• Have been a part of formative activities