Congratulations to International Training & Education Center for Health (I-TECH) for a new article, published in PLOSONE: “Informing Comprehensive HIV Prevention: A Situational Analysis of the HIV Prevention and Care Context, North West Province South Africa,” authored by Sheri A. Lippman, Sarah Treves-Kagan, Jennifer M. Gilvydis, Evasen Naidoo, Gertrude Khumalo-Sakutukwa, Lynae Darbes, Elsie Raphela, Lebogang Ntswane, and Scott Barnhart.

The team conducted more than 200 individual and group interviews and gleaned four principal social barriers to HIV prevention and care: HIV fatalism, traditional gender norms, HIV-related stigma, and challenges with communication around HIV. Understanding these social and structural barriers to care helped shape I-TECH South Africa’s comprehensive HIV prevention program.

In addition, the situational analysis method used was an effective way to collect ample data to inform programming in a short period of time, build community support for the program, and establish excellent relationships with governmental stakeholders.  Click here for the full article.