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Objective: Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV (VCT) and increasing access to male condoms are common strategies to respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Using biological and behavioral outcomes, we compared programs to increase access to VCT, male condoms or both among youth in Western Kenya with the standard available HIV prevention services within this setting. Design: A four arm, unblinded randomized controlled trial. Methods: The sample includes 10,245 youth aged 17 to 24 randomly assigned to receive community-based VCT, 150 male condoms, both VCT and condoms, or neither program. All had access to standard HIV services available within their communities. Surveys and blood samples for HSV-2 testing were collected at baseline (2009–2010) and at follow up (2011–2013). VCT was offered to all participants at follow up. HSV-2 prevalence, the primary outcome, was assessed using weighted logistic regressions in an intention-to-treat analysis. Results: For the 7,565 respondents surveyed at follow up, (effective tracking rate = 91%), the weighted HSV-2 prevalence was similar across groups (control group = 10.8%, condoms only group = 9.1%, VCT only group = 10.2%, VCT and condoms group = 11.5%). None of the interventions significantly reduced HSV-2 prevalence; the adjusted odds ratios were 0.87 (95% CI: 0.61–1.25) for condoms only, 0.94 (95% CI: 0.64–1.38) for VCT only, and 1.12 (95% CI: 0.79–1.58) for both interventions. The VCT intervention significantly increased HIV testing (adj OR: 3.54, 95% CI: 2.32–5.41 for VCT only, and adj OR: 5.52, 95% CI: 3.90–7.81 for condoms and VCT group). There were no statistically significant effects on risk of HIV, or on other behavioral or knowledge outcomes including self-reported pregnancy rates. Conclusion: This study suggests that systematic community-based VCT campaigns (in addition to VCT availability at local health clinics) and condom distribution are unlikely on their own to significantly reduce the prevalence of HSV-2 among youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Women of reproductive age are at the highest risk of both HIV infection and unintended pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa. Highly effective contraceptives (HECs) such as hormonal injectable and implants are widely used in this region. HECs are effective for preventing pregnancies. However, unlike condoms, HECs offer no protection against HIV. Dual-method use, or the use of condoms with HECs, is an ideal option to reduce HIV risk but is infrequently practiced. Rather, women tend not to use condoms when they use HECs and increase their HIV risk from their sexual partners. However, it remains unknown whether HIV status affects such tendency. Given the increasing popularity of HECs in sub-Saharan Africa, this study examined the association between the use of HECs and condom use among HIV-positive and negative women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 833 sexually active women aged 18–49 years, recruited from six clinics in Siaya county, Kenya. From March to May 2017, female research assistants interviewed the women using a structured questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between HEC use and consistent condom use in the past 90 days, adjusting for potential confounders. It was also examined with regular partners (husbands or live-in partners) and non-regular partners, separately. In addition, a sub-sample analysis of HIV-negative or unknown women was conducted. Results: In total, 735 women were available for the analysis. Among the women, 231 (31.4%) were HIV-positive. HIV-positive women were more likely to use HECs than HIV-negative or status unknown women (70.1% vs. 61.7%, p = 0.027). HEC use was significantly associated with decreased condom use with a regular partner (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.25; 95% CI 0.15–0.43, p<0.001) and a non-regular partner (AOR = 0.25; 95% CI 0.11–0.58, p = 0.001). However, compared with HIV-negative or status unknown women, HIV-positive women were more likely to use HECs and condoms consistently with a regular partner (AOR = 6.54, 95% CI 2.15–20.00, p = 0.001). Other factors significantly associated with consistent condom use included partner’s positive attitude toward contraception, partner’s HIV-positive status, high HIV risk perception, and desire for children in the future. Conclusion: Dual-method use was limited among HIV-negative women and women who had HIV-negative partners due to inconsistent condom use. The use of HECs was significantly associated with decreased condom use, regardless of partner type and their HIV status. Due to this inverse association, HIV-negative women may increase their HIV risk from their sexual partners. Therefore, interventions should be strengthened to reduce their dual risks of HIV infection and unintended pregnancy by promoting dual-method use. Family planning services should strengthen counseling on the possible risk of HIV infection from their sexual partners and target not only women but also their partners, who may play a key role in condom use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting awareness of serostatus and frequent HIV testing is especially important among high risk populations such as female sex workers (FSW) and their sexual partners. HIV self-testing is an approach that is gaining ground in sub-Saharan Africa as a strategy to increase knowledge of HIV status and promote safer sexual decisions. However, little is known about self-test distribution strategies that are optimal for increasing testing access among hard-to-reach and high risk individuals. We conducted a qualitative study with 18 FSW who participated in a larger study that provided them with five oral fluid-based self-tests, training on how to use the tests, and encouragement to offer the self-tests to their sexual partners using their discretion. Women demonstrated agency in the strategies they used to introduce self-tests to their partners and to avoid conflict with partners. They carefully considered with whom to share self-tests, often assessing the possibility for negative reactions from partners as part of their decision making process. When women faced negative reactions from partners, they drew on strategies they had used before to avoid conflict and physical harm from partners, such as not responding to angry partners and forgoing payment to leave angry partners quickly. Some women also used self-tests to make more informed sexual decisions with their partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although male parental care is rare among mammals, adult males of many cercopithecine primate species provide care for infants and juveniles. This care is often in the form of grooming, carrying, support in agonistic interactions, and protection against infanticide. For these behaviours to be interpreted as true parental care, males must selectively direct care towards their own offspring and this care must result in fitness benefits. With the exception of males defending probable offspring from infanticide, male primates living in multi-male, multi-female social groups have not been shown to selectively direct care towards their own offspring. We determined paternity for 75 juveniles in a population of wild savannah baboons (Papio cynocephalus) and collected data on interventions in agonistic disputes by adult males on behalf of juveniles as a form of male care. Here we show that adult males differentiate their offspring from unrelated juveniles and selectively support their offspring in agonistic disputes. As support in agonistic disputes is likely to contribute to rank acquisition and protect juveniles from injury and stress, this can be considered true parental care.