The purpose of this protocol is to determine user preferences for antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-1 infected partners and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) HIV-1 un-infected partners and to optimize targeted delivery and sustained use of these interventions.
An open-label, prospective cohort study of higher-risk HIV-1 serodiscordant couples in order to determine barriers and facilitators to uptake and sustained adherence to ART for HIV-1 infected partners and daily oral PrEP for HIV-1 uninfected partners. The investigators developed a risk score tool to identify couples at highest risk for HIV-1 transmission. PrEP was offered as a 'bridge' to ART in the partnership - i.e., until ART initiation by the HIV-infected partner and for the first 6 months after ART is started; ART was recommended following national ART guidelines. A subset (up to 80 couples per site) was invited to participate in qualitative in-depth interview and focus group discussions.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
1,013
FTC-TDF PrEP for HIV-1 uninfected partners
ART for HIV-1 infected partners
Kemri-Ucsf
Kisumu, Kenya
Partners in Prevention-Thika
Thika, Kenya
Kabwohe Clinical Research Center
Bushenyi, Uganda
Partners in Prevention-Infectious Diseases Institute LTD
Kampala, Uganda
Ability to recruit high-risk HIV-1 serodiscordant couples: Screen-to-eligible ratio.
High-risk couples defined by a validated risk scoring tool. Ability to recruit high-risk HIV-1 serodiscordant couples will be measured as screen-to-eligible ratio of HIV-1 serodiscordant couples.
Time frame: 24 months
Ability to recruit high-risk HIV-1 serodiscordant couples: Eligible couples who decide to enroll in the cohort.
High-risk couples defined by a validated risk scoring tool. We will measure the proportion of eligible couples who decide to enroll in the cohort.
Time frame: 24 months
Ability to recruit high-risk HIV-1 serodiscordant couples: Costs of screening and targeting high-risk couples decide to enroll in the cohort.
High-risk couples were defined by a validated risk scoring tool. The cost-effectiveness analysis will follow World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and report summary estimates for the PrEP intervention which allow comparison to other strategies to decrease HIV-1 transmission among serodiscordant couples. Costs of offering and delivering PrEP as a bridging strategy to ART, including recruitment costs for targeting higher-risk couples and PrEP delivery and monitoring costs will be collected. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per HIV related infection, death and Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) averted will be estimated. Results will be reported as the ICER of PrEP compared to current practice per incident HIV-1 case, HIV related death and DALY averted.
Time frame: 24 months
User preferences for ART initiation for HIV-1 infected partners and PrEP for HIV-1 uninfected partners: preferred ART-based HIV prevention method.
Measure the number of couples choosing to use PrEP or ART for HIV-1 prevention or both.
Time frame: 24 months
User preferences for ART initiation for HIV-1 infected partners and PrEP for HIV-1 uninfected partners: reasons for choice and concerns about both methods.
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Quantitative questionnaire will be used to elicit reasons for the choice and concerns about both methods. Reasons for or concerns about both methods measured as proportion of participants reporting a particular reason for or concerns about both methods
Time frame: 24 months
PrEP initiation by HIV uninfected partners.
Measure the number of HIV-1 uninfected partners initiating PrEP. Proportion of samples with detectable and quantifiable PrEP levels
Time frame: 24 months
PrEP adherence: Self-reported missed doses of PrEP.
Measure the proportion of visits when HIV-uninfected partner reported missing 1) any dose of PrEP in the prior quarter 2) 2 or more consecutive doses of PrEP.
Time frame: 24 months
PrEP adherence: Detectable and quantifiable PrEP levels in plasma.
Measure the proportion of plasma samples of HIV-1 uninfected partners with detectable and quantifiable PrEP levels.
Time frame: 24 months
PrEP adherence: PrEP hold.
Measure the total number of HIV-1 uninfected partners with PrEP hold designated as a safety issue.
Time frame: 24 months
ART initiation.
Measure the number of HIV-1 infected partners initiating ART.
Time frame: 24 months
ART Adherence.
Measure the number of HIV-1 infected partners with suppressed plasma HIV-1 RNA levels.
Time frame: 24 months
Correlates of preferences, uptake and adherence to ART and PrEP: Sexual frequency.
Proportion of visits when participants report having sex.
Time frame: 24 months
Correlates of preferences, uptake and adherence to ART and PrEP: Condom use frequency.
Proportion of visits when participants report having condomless sex.
Time frame: 24 months
Correlates of preferences, uptake and adherence to ART and PrEP: Outside partners for HIV-1 uninfected partners.
Proportion of visits when HIV-1 uninfected partners report outside partners.
Time frame: 24 months
Correlates of preferences, uptake and adherence to ART and PrEP: Gender of the HIV-1 uninfected partner.
Proportion of couples in which the HIV-1 uninfected partner is female.
Time frame: 24 months
Correlates of preferences, uptake and adherence to ART and PrEP: Fertility intentions.
Proportion of couples with desire to conceive a child.
Time frame: 24 months
Correlates of preferences, uptake and adherence to ART and PrEP: Relationship dissolution.
Number of couples continuing their relationship during follow up.
Time frame: 24 months
Correlates of preferences, uptake, and adherence to ART and PrEP: Depression and substance use.
Annual interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect depression and substance use indicators. Measure proportion of participants with depression and substance use.
Time frame: 24 months
Correlates of preferences, uptake and adherence to ART and PrEP: ART initiation by HIV-1 infected partner.
Proportion of HIV-1 infected partners initiating ART.
Time frame: 24 months
Correlates of preferences, uptake and adherence to ART and PrEP: Number of children.
Proportion of partnership reporting to have children at baseline.
Time frame: 24 months
Correlates of preferences, uptake and adherence to ART and PrEP: CD4 count.
Proportion of HIV infected partners with CD4 count \>200, \>350, \>500.
Time frame: 24 months
Correlates of preferences, uptake and adherence to ART and PrEP: WHO stage of HIV-1 infected partner.
Proportion HIV-1 infected partners with WHO HIV-1 stage 1, 2, 3, or 4.
Time frame: 24 months
Feasibility to PrEP discontinuation in couples when the HIV-1 infected partner initiates ART.
We will conduct in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Qualitative analyses will identify and describe key themes and explore variation within themes of participants' attitudes and understanding of PrEP discontinuation.
Time frame: 24 months
PrEP use and pregnancy: HIV-1 infection.
Number of HIV-1 infections among women who continue PrEP in pregnancy.
Time frame: 24 months
PrEP use and pregnancy: Congenital abnormalities among infants born to female Participants taking PrEP.
Infant outcomes measured as the number of live-born infants born to female participants taking PrEP that had any congenital anomalie.
Time frame: 24 months
PrEP use and pregnancy: Any serious adverse event.
Number of women who continue PrEP in pregnancy with any serious adverse event.
Time frame: 24 months
Infant growth for women who continue PrEP in pregnancy: Length.
Length of infants born to female Participants taking PrEP. The slope of the linear model of the growth of infants (length) during the entirety of follow-up. The length of the infant measured as a z-score, in terms of standard deviations from the age and gender specific median using the World Health Organization growth curve, accounting for skewness. The slope, representing the change over time of the z-score, will be calculated using all available z-scores over study duration and regressing against study month.
Time frame: 24 months
Infant growth for women who continue PrEP in pregnancy: Weight.
The slope of the linear model of the growth of infants (weight) during the entirety of follow-up. The weight of the infant was measured as a z-score, in terms of standard deviations from the age and gender specific median using the World Health Organization growth curve, accounting for skewness. The slope, representing the change over time of the z-score, will be calculated using all available z-scores over study duration and regressing against study month.
Time frame: 24 months
Infant growth for women who continue PrEP in pregnancy: Head circumference.
The slope of the linear model of the growth of infants (head circumference) during the entirety of follow-up. The head circumference of the infant will be measured as a z-score, in terms of standard deviations from the age and gender specific median using the World Health Organization growth curve, accounting for skewness. The slope, representing the change over time of the z-score, will be calculated using all available z-scores over study duration and regressing against study month.
Time frame: 24 months