Exploring the sexual and reproductive health knowledge, practices and needs of adolescents living with perinatally acquired HIV in Côte d'Ivoire: a qualitative study.

Adolescents face unique challenges in accessing appropriate information and services regarding sexuality and reproductive health (SRH). This poor access can lead to sexual behaviours that could put them at risk of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) have specific SRH needs that remain unmet. We explored the SRH knowledge, practices and needs of ALHIV in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Between April and September 2023, a qualitative study using semi-structured individual interviews was conducted with nine male and nine female ALHIV without previous pregnancies, and eight ALHIV who became pregnant. All consented and were ALHIV acquired perinatally, aged 15-19 years, informed of their HIV status, and followed in three paediatric HIV care centres in Abidjan. participating in the paediatric IeDEA West African Cohort and enrolled in the ANRS12390 OPTIMISE-AO project aimed at improving HIV disclosure process and adherence to antiretroviral treatment. A focus group discussion was conducted with five peer-educators, aged 23-31 years, participating in the OPTIMISE-AO project to gather their perspectives on adolescent SRH. Interviews were conducted in French, and a thematic analysis was performed. All participants expressed difficulty in talking about SRH with their parents or health professionals and turned to their friends for advice. All feared transmitting HIV. One-third of female participants reported having experienced non-consensual sex and sexual violence. Participants reported low levels of condom use, despite having good knowledge of its purpose. Reasons for not using condoms included difficulties in negotiating for girls, as well as having an undetectable viral load, which was seen by adolescents as a condition for waiving condom use. As hormonal contraceptives were subject to many negative beliefs justifying their non-use, alternative methods, such as emergency contraceptive pills or traditional plants, were used to prevent pregnancy. ALHIV reported unmet SRH needs, particularly in terms of accessing reliable information and appropriate support. Integrating SRH care into paediatric HIV care, organising SRH discussion groups led by peer-educators, and improving access to a range of contraceptives may address these needs to enhance SRH outcomes for ALHIV.

Tisseron C ，Djaha J ，Dahourou DL ，Kouadio K ，Nindjin P ，N'Gbeche MS ，Moh C ，Eboua F ，Bouah B ，Kanga E ，Manochehr MH ，Doucet MH ，Msellati P ，Jesson J ，Leroy V ，IeDEA and OPTIMISE West-African Collaborations ... -  《Reproductive Health》

Qualitative evidence synthesis informing our understanding of people's perceptions and experiences of targeted digital communication.

Health communication is an area where changing technologies, particularly digital technologies, have a growing role to play in delivering and exchanging health information between individuals, communities, health systems, and governments.[1] Such innovation has the potential to strengthen health systems and services, with substantial investments in digital health already taking place, particularly in low‐ and middle‐income countries. Communication using mobile phones is an important way of contacting individual people and the public more generally to deliver and exchange health information. Such technologies are used increasingly in this capacity, but poor planning and short‐term projects may be limiting their potential for health improvement. The assumption that mobile devices will solve problems that other forms of communication have not is also prevalent. In this context, understanding people's views and experiences may lead to firmer knowledge on which to build better programs. A qualitative evidence synthesis by Heather Ames and colleagues on clients' perceptions and experiences of targeted digital communication focuses on a particular type of messaging – targeted messages from health services delivered to particular group(s) via mobile devices, in this case looking at communicating with pregnant women and parents of young children, and with adults and teenagers about sexual health and family planning.[2] These areas of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) are where important gains have been made worldwide, but there remains room for improvement. Ames and colleagues sought to examine and understand people's perceptions and experiences of using digital targeted client communication. This might include communication in different formats and with a range of purposes related to RMNCAH – for example, receiving text message reminders to take medicines (e.g. HIV medicines) or go to appointments (such as childhood vaccination appointments), or phone calls offering information or education (such as about breastfeeding or childhood illnesses), support (e.g. providing encouragement to change behaviours) or advice (such as advising about local healthcare services). These communication strategies have the potential to improve health outcomes by communicating with people or by supporting behaviour change. However, changing people's health behaviours to a significant and meaningful degree is notoriously challenging and seldom very effective across the board. There are a multitude of systematic reviews of interventions aiming to change behaviours of both patients and providers, with the overall objective of improving health outcomes – many of which show little or no average effects across groups of people.[3] This evidence synthesis is therefore important as it may help to understand why communicating with people around their health might (or might not) change behaviours and improve consequent health outcomes. By examining the experiences and perspectives of those receiving the interventions, this qualitative evidence synthesis allows us to better understand the interventions' acceptability and usefulness, barriers to their uptake, and factors to be considered when planning implementation. The synthesis looked at 35 studies from countries around the world, focussing on communication related to RMNCAH. Of the 35 studies, 16 were from high‐income countries, mainly the United States, and 19 were from low‐ or middle‐income countries, mainly African countries. Many of the studies presented hypothetical scenarios. The findings from the synthesis are mixed and give us a more nuanced picture of the role of targeted digital communication. People receiving targeted digital communications from health services often liked and valued these contacts, feeling supported and connected by them. However, some also reported problems with the use of these technologies, which may represent barriers to their use. These included practical or technical barriers like poor network or Internet access, as well as cost, language, technical literacy, reading or issues around confidentiality, especially where personal health conditions were involved. Access to mobile phones may also be a barrier, particularly for women and adolescents who may have to share or borrow a phone or who have access controlled by others. In such situations it may be difficult to receive communications or to maintain privacy of content. The synthesis also shows that people's experiences of these interventions are influenced by factors such as the timing of messages, their frequency and content, and their trust in the sender. Identifying key features of such communications by the people who use them might therefore help to inform future choices about how and when such messaging is used. The authors used their knowledge from 25 separate findings to list ten implications for practice. This section of the review is hugely valuable, making a practical contribution to assist governments and public health agencies wishing to develop or improve their delivery of digital health. The implications serve as a list of points to consider, including issues of access (seven different aspects are considered), privacy and confidentiality, reliability, credibility and trust, and responsiveness to the needs and preferences of users. In this way, qualitative evidence is building a picture of how to better communicate with people about health. For example, an earlier 2017 Cochrane qualitative evidence synthesis by Ames, Glenton and Lewin on parents' and informal caregivers' views and experiences of communication about routine childhood vaccination provides ample evidence that may help program managers to deliver or plan communication interventions in ways that are responsive to and acceptable to parents.[4] The qualitative synthesis method, therefore, puts a spotlight on how people's experiences of health and health care in the context of their lives may lead to the design of better interventions, as well as to experimental studies which take more account of the diversity that exists in people's attitudes and decision‐making experiences.[5] In the case of this qualitative evidence synthesis by Ames and colleagues, the method pulled together a substantial body of research (35 data‐rich studies were sampled from 48 studies identified, with the high‐to‐moderate confidence in the evidence for 13 of the synthesized findings). The evidence from this review can inform the development of interventions, and the design of trials and their implementation. While waiting for such new trials or trial evidence on effects to emerge, decision‐makers can build their programs on the highly informative base developed by this review. This qualitative evidence synthesis, alongside other reviews, has informed development by the World Health Organization of its first guideline for using digital technologies for health systems strengthening,[1, 6] part of a comprehensive program of work to better understand and support implementation of such new technologies.

Ryan R ，Hill S 《Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews》

Can We Enhance Shared Decision-making for Periacetabular Osteotomy Surgery? A Qualitative Study of Patient Experiences.

Periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) surgery presents an opportunity for shared decision-making (SDM) and may be facilitated by decision-making tools. Currently, no diagnosis or treatment-specific decision-making tools exist for this patient population. Understanding patient PAO surgery decision-making experiences and processes would enable development of a treatment-specific decision-making tool and would help hip preservation surgeons with SDM practices. Qualitative methodology was used to address the following questions: (1) What were the information support needs of adult patients with hip dysplasia who decided to have PAO? (2) What was important to adult patients with hip dysplasia who decided to have PAO? (3) How did adult patients with hip dysplasia who have undergone PAO experience the surgical decision-making process? (4) What elements of SDM did adult patients with hip dysplasia experience with their surgeons when deciding to have PAO? Fifteen volunteer, English-speaking patients in the United States who had been diagnosed with hip dysplasia and who had undergone PAO surgery 6 to 12 months prior to the study were recruited through five PAO surgery Facebook support groups. Individuals were excluded if they had an underlying neuromuscular condition or other diagnosis related to nondevelopmental dysplasia of the hip or if they had a previous PAO surgery > 12 months before data collection. We used purposive sampling strategies to promote sample heterogeneity based on age and preoperative activity level, as these are characteristics that may impact decision-making. Participants were categorized into three age groups: 20 to 29 years, 30 to 39 years, and ≥ 40 years. Participants were also categorized as having "low activity," "moderate activity," or "high activity" preoperatively based on self-reported University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Activity Scale scores. Participants were enrolled consecutively if they met the inclusion criteria and fulfilled one of our sampling categories; we had plans to enroll more participants if thematic saturation was not achieved through the first 15 interviews. Participants included 14 women and one man ranging in age from 23 to 48 years, and all had undergone PAO surgery for hip dysplasia 6 to 12 months prior to the interview. One-on-one semistructured interviews were conducted with each participant by a single interviewer through Zoom video conferencing using video and audio recording. Participants answered semistructured interview questions and provided verbal responses to survey questions so researchers could gain demographic information and details about their symptoms, diagnosis, and PAO surgery between June 2021 and August 2021. Quantitative survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were analyzed by three researchers using principles of reflexive thematic analysis. Candidate themes were iteratively defined and redefined until central themes were developed that were distinctly different, yet centrally relevant, and answered the research questions. All codes that informed category and theme development were generated within the first six transcripts that were analyzed. The team felt that thematic saturation was established with the 15 interviews. The main information needs for adult patients with hip dysplasia included diagnosis and treatment-related information, as well as logistics related to surgery and recovery. Many patients described that their information needs were only partially met by their surgeon; most engaged in additional information-seeking from scientific research and online resources and relied on patient peers to meet information needs about the lived experience and logistics related to surgery and recovery. It was important to patients that PAO surgery could preserve their native hip or delay THA and that PAO surgery was likely to reduce their pain and improve function; decision-making was facilitated when patients were able to identify how the indications and goals of PAO surgery aligned with their own situation and goals for surgery. Patients' experiences with decision-making were more positive when information needs were met, when indications and goals for PAO surgery aligned with their personal values and goals, and when their preferred and actual decision-making roles aligned. Adult patients with hip dysplasia described high variability in the extent to which patients were invited to share personal preferences, values, and goals around PAO surgery and the extent to which preferred patient decision-making roles were assessed. We found that elements of SDM are not consistently integrated into hip preservation practice. The knowledge gained through this work about patient PAO surgery information needs, what matters to patients when deciding to have surgery, and their experiences with PAO surgery decision-making can inform future PAO surgery decision-making tool development. Future studies are needed to validate the findings of this study and to determine whether they are generalizable to adult patients with hip dysplasia with different demographic characteristics or to patients who do not participate in social media support groups. Surgeons should recognize that patients are likely to leave their office without their information needs being met. SDM strategies can promote more effective information exchanges in the clinic so surgeons can help patients identify their information needs, provide education and direction to accurate and reputable resources to meet those needs, and help patients appraise information they gather and apply it to their personal situation. Hip preservation surgeons can use the sample SDM script and checklist offered here to support adult patients with hip dysplasia who are making PAO surgery decisions until a future diagnosis and treatment-specific decision-making tool is available.

Muir NB ，Orlin M ，Rubertone P ，Williams G ... -  《-》

Repeat adolescent pregnancies in Southwestern Uganda: A cross-sectional study.

Ramachandran R ，Namatovu S ，Atwine D ，Tumuhairwe J ，Nyakato VN ，Kemigisha E ，Ivanova O ... -  《-》

The role of parent-adolescent communication interventions in improving sexual and reproductive health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, adolescents face the triple tragedy: unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortion, and sexually transmitted infections including HIV due to various reasons, among them, poor parent-adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health. Effective interventions such as improving parent‒adolescent communication has been recognized as a protective factor for adolescent sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Research shows that parent-adolescent communication is associated with reduced adolescent engagement in risky sexual behaviours, including early sexual initiation, lower rates of teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and increased self-efficacy in decision making. Despite the potential role of parent-adolescent communication in promoting optimal adolescent sexual and reproductive health, limited research evidence exists on interventions to improve parent-adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health in sub-Saharan African countries. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the role of parent-adolescent communication intervention programs in improving sexual and reproductive health outcomes. We will pool evidence from published literature from January 1990 up to and including February 2024 from multiple databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, African Journals Online, JSTOR, Directory of Open Access Journals, and Google Scholar. Articles published in the English language will be included. Two reviewers will conduct screening for titles, abstracts, and full texts, while a third reviewer will arbitrate in cases of lack of concurrence. Experimental, quasi-experimental and observational study designs will be included.. A data extraction tool based on Microsoft Excel will be used to extract data items from different studies. We will focus on the following outcomes: initiation of sexual activity, use of condoms and contraceptives, reduced risky sexual behaviours such as unprotected sex, and lower rates of teenage pregnancy. When feasible, articles will be combined for statistical meta-analysis. Effect sizes, either reported as weighted mean differences for continuous data or as odds ratios for binary data, will be presented as proportions with 95% confidence intervals. We will use the random effects model to meta-analyse the include studies as we expect considerable variability across study designs. This will provide an average effect size that accounts for variability of results within studies. Sensitivity analysis will also be conducted to assess the robustness of the findings or conclusions of the meta-analysis. The review findings will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. This review provides insights into parent-based intervention programs that have been implemented in sub-Saharan African countries to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health via promotion of parent-adolescent sexuality communication. The findings will guide further research on this issue as well as inform policy makers on which interventions have a potential effect in improving adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Protocol Registration Number: CRD42024525191 (PROSPERO), Date of registration: 27/03/2024.

Gatheru PM ，Wao H ，Alamdo A ，Kwarteng PG ，Kwashie M ，Kabiru CW ，Ogum D ，Torpey K ，Manu A ... -  《Reproductive Health》