Email this article 
Hide
Show all
Original Research
Sexual reproductive healthcare utilisation and HIV testing in an integrated adolescent youth centre clinic in Cape Town, South Africa
Submitted: 22 December 2017 | Published: 26 November 2018
About the author(s)
Andrea S. Mendelsohn, The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa; and, Retreat Community Health Centre, Western Cape Department of Health, South AfricaKatherine Gill, The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Rebecca Marcus, The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, United Kingdom
Dante Robbertze, The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa; and, Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation Youth Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Claudine van de Venter, The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Eve Mendel, The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Landisiwe Mzukwa, The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Linda-Gail Bekker, The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Abstract
Background: HIV prevalence is increasing among South African youth, but HIV counselling and testing (HCT) remains low. Adolescent pregnancy rates are also high.
Objectives: Innovative strategies are needed to increase HIV and pregnancy screening and prevention among youth.
Method: The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation Youth Centre (DTHF-YC) offers integrated, incentivised sexual and reproductive health (SRH), educational and recreational programmes. We compared HCT and contraception rates between the DTHF-YC and a public clinic (PC) in Cape Town to estimate the impact of DTHF-YC on youth contraception and HCT utilisation.
Results: In 2015, females < 18 years had 3.74 times (confidence interval [CI]: 3.37–4.15) more contraception visits at DTHF-YC versus PC. There were no differences in the contraception and adherence was suboptimal. DTHF-YC youth (aged 15–24 years) were 1.85 times (CI: 1.69–2.01) more likely to undergo HCT versus PC, while male youth were 3.83 times (CI: 3.04–4.81) more likely to test at DTHF-YC. Youth were a third less likely to test HIV-positive at DTHF-YC versus PC. Female sex, older age, clinic attendance for contraception and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), redeeming incentives and high DTHF-YC attendance were all independent factors associated with increased HCT.
Conclusion: Youth were significantly more likely to access SRH services at DTHF-YC compared with the PC. The differences were greatest in contraception use by female adolescents < 18 years and HCT by male youth. Increased HCT did not increase youth HIV case detection. Data from DTHF-YC suggest that youth-friendly healthcare providers integrated into community youth spaces may increase youth HCT and contraception rates.
Keywords
Metrics
Total abstract views: 4603Total article views: 5453
Crossref Citations
1. Understanding school-going adolescent’s preferences for accessing HIV and contraceptive care: findings from a discrete choice experiment among learners in Gauteng, South Africa
Caroline Govathson, Lawrence Long, Aneesa Moolla, Sithabile Mngadi-Ncube, Nkosinathi Ngcobo, Constance Mongwenyana, Naomi Lince-Deroche, Sophie Pascoe
BMC Health Services Research vol: 23 issue: 1 year: 2023
doi: 10.1186/s12913-023-10414-w
2. Comparing youth-friendly clinics to the standard of care for adolescent girls and young women in Malawi: A qualitative analysis
Twambilile Phanga, Caroline N. McKay, Dhrutika Vansia, Nivedita L. Bhushan, Bertha Maseko, Linda E. Kamtsendero, Lauren A. Graybill, Mina C. Hosseinipour, Linda-Gail Bekker, Audrey Pettifor, Nora E. Rosenberg
Global Public Health vol: 20 issue: 1 year: 2025
doi: 10.1080/17441692.2025.2481466
3. Acceptability of HIV Testing for Adolescents and young Adults by Delivery Model: A Systematic Review
Peter Thomas Leistikow, Vidhi Patel, Christian Nouryan, Joseph Steven Cervia
Journal of Investigative Medicine vol: 70 issue: 3 first page: 829 year: 2022
doi: 10.1136/jim-2021-002056
4. “You are not alone”: a qualitative study to explore barriers to ART initiation and implications for a proposed community-based youth treatment club among young adults newly diagnosed with HIV in South Africa
Maria F. Nardell, Yeonsoo Sara Lee, Elzette Rousseau, Robin Julies, Portia Klaas, Prisca Vundhla, Lisa Butler, Ingrid V. Bassett, Claude A. Mellins, Linda-Gail Bekker, Ingrid T. Katz
AIDS Care vol: 33 issue: 7 first page: 952 year: 2021
doi: 10.1080/09540121.2020.1861179
5. Integrating HIV services and other health services: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Caroline A. Bulstra, Jan A. C. Hontelez, Moritz Otto, Anna Stepanova, Erik Lamontagne, Anna Yakusik, Wafaa M. El-Sadr, Tsitsi Apollo, Miriam Rabkin, Rifat Atun, Till Bärnighausen, Bohdan Nosyk
PLOS Medicine vol: 18 issue: 11 first page: e1003836 year: 2021
doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003836
6. Efficacy of HIV interventions among factory workers in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review
Dahui Chen, Ganfeng Luo, Xiaojun Meng, Zixin Wang, Bolin Cao, Tanwei Yuan, Yu Xie, Tian Hu, Yaqi Chen, Wujian Ke, Zhenyu Wang, Caijun Sun, Kai Deng, Yong Cai, Kechun Zhang, Huachun Zou
BMC Public Health vol: 20 issue: 1 year: 2020
doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-09333-w
7. Awareness, Utilization and Perception of Sexually Transmitted Infections Services Provided to Out-of-School-Youth in Primary Health Facilities in Tshwane, South Africa
Boitumelo Ditshwane, Matilda M. Mokgatle, Oluwafemi O. Oguntibeju
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health vol: 20 issue: 3 first page: 1738 year: 2023
doi: 10.3390/ijerph20031738
8. Young people’s access to sexual and reproductive health prevention services in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic: an online questionnaire
Venetia Baker, Sarah Mulwa, David Khanyile, Sophie Sarrassat, Dominique O'Donnell, Sara Piot, Yvonne Diogo, Georgia Arnold, Simon Cousens, Cherie Cawood, Isolde Birdthistle
BMJ Paediatrics Open vol: 7 issue: 1 first page: e001500 year: 2023
doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2022-001500
9. Exploring the drivers of adolescent sexual and reproductive healthcare-seeking behavior in northwestern Botswana: a cross-sectional analysis
Mackenzie Lawson, Helen Apps, Peggie Ramaphane, Francis Barchi
BMC Public Health vol: 25 issue: 1 year: 2025
doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-21629-3
10. Contraceptive and reproductive health practices of unmarried women globally, 1999 to 2018
Meng-yao Wang, Marleen Temmerman, Wei-hong Zhang, Yu Fan, Yi Mu, Si-ping Mo, Ai Zheng, Jin-ke Li
Medicine vol: 99 issue: 49 first page: e23368 year: 2020
doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000023368
11. Challenges experienced by nurses in implementing Adolescent and Youth Friendly Services in clinics of the Limpopo province
Anna M. Malahlela, Livhuwani Muthelo, Masenyani O. Mbombi, Tshepo A. Ntho, Thabo A. Phukubye, Peaceful N. Ntshayintshayi, Tendani A. Ramalata
Health SA Gesondheid vol: 29 year: 2024
doi: 10.4102/hsag.v29i0.2472
12. “Other risks don't stop”: adapting a youth sexual and reproductive health intervention in Zimbabwe during COVID-19
Constance R. S. Mackworth-Young, Constancia Mavodza, Rangarirayi Nyamwanza, Maureen Tshuma, Portia Nzombe, Chido Dziva Chikwari, Mandikudza Tembo, Ethel Dauya, Tsitsi Apollo, Rashida A. Ferrand, Sarah Bernays
Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters vol: 30 issue: 1 year: 2022
doi: 10.1080/26410397.2022.2029338
13. The prevalence of pregnancy among adolescent girls and young women across the Southern African development community economic hub: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Clarence S. Yah, Sithembiso Ndlovu, Alison Kutywayo, Nicolette Naidoo, Tshepo Mahuma, Saiqa Mullick
Health Promotion Perspectives vol: 10 issue: 4 first page: 325 year: 2020
doi: 10.34172/hpp.2020.51
14. Hair salons and stylist–client social relationships as facilitators of community-based contraceptive uptake in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: a qualitative analysis
Nafisa J. Wara, Christina Psaros, Sabina Govere, Nosipho Dladla, Ashley Stuckwisch, Dani Zionts, Jana Jarolimova, Ingrid V. Bassett
Reproductive Health vol: 18 issue: 1 year: 2021
doi: 10.1186/s12978-021-01226-4
15. Mental health outcomes of a pilot 2-arm randomized controlled trial of a HIV-prevention program for South African adolescent girls and young women and their female caregivers
Geri Donenberg, Katherine G. Merrill, Millicent Atujuna, Erin Emerson, Bethany Bray, Linda Gail Bekker
BMC Public Health vol: 21 issue: 1 year: 2021
doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-12010-1
16. The Association of Social Influences, Modeling Behavior, Self-Efficacy, and Communication With Teenage Pregnancies Among School Students in South Africa
Saloshni Naidoo, Myra Taylor
The Journal of School Nursing vol: 37 issue: 2 first page: 128 year: 2021
doi: 10.1177/1059840519855372
17. A modelling framework for translating discrete choice experiment results into cost‐effectiveness estimates: an application to designing tailored and scalable HIV and contraceptive services for adolescents in Gauteng, South Africa
Caroline Govathson, Lawrence C. Long, Colin A. Russell, Aneesa Moolla, Sophie Pascoe, Brooke E. Nichols
Journal of the International AIDS Society vol: 26 issue: 7 year: 2023
doi: 10.1002/jia2.26124
18. Community perspectives of South African adolescents’ experiences seeking treatment at local HIV clinics and how such clinics may influence engagement in the HIV treatment cascade: a qualitative study
Tiarney D. Ritchwood, Aissatou Ba, LaDrea Ingram, Millicent Atujuna, Rebecca Marcus, Noluthando Ntlapo, Asantewa Oduro, Linda-Gail Bekker
AIDS Care vol: 32 issue: 1 first page: 83 year: 2020
doi: 10.1080/09540121.2019.1653442
19. Cancer in HIV-positive and HIV-negative adolescents and young adults in South Africa: a cross-sectional study
Tafadzwa Dhokotera, Julia Bohlius, Matthias Egger, Adrian Spoerri, Jabulani Ronnie Ncayiyana, Gita Naidu, Victor Olago, Marcel Zwahlen, Elvira Singh, Mazvita Muchengeti
BMJ Open vol: 11 issue: 10 first page: e043941 year: 2021
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043941
20. Effect of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Education Intervention on HPV Knowledge and Awareness Among High School Learners in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
Zizipho Z. A. Mbulawa, Nontuthuzelo I. Somdyala, Sikhumbuzo A. Mabunda, Anna-Lise Williamson
Journal of Cancer Education vol: 38 issue: 1 first page: 146 year: 2023
doi: 10.1007/s13187-021-02090-3