Browsing by Author "Humphries, Hilton Richard."

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Empowering patients to link to care and treatment: qualitative findings about the role of a home-based HIV counselling, testing and linkage intervention in South Africa.
(Taylor & Francis., 2015) Knight, Lucia C.; Van Rooyen, Rooyen.; Humphries, Hilton Richard.; Barnabas, Ruanne V.; Celum, Connie Locke.
Abstract available in pdf.
Empowering women in human immunodeficiency virus prevention.
(Elsevier., 2012) Abdool Karim, Quarraisha.; Humphries, Hilton Richard.; Stein, Zena.
Women comprise one-half of people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus in the world, and about 70% of them live in sub-Saharan Africa. Advancing, untreated HIV disease in women has resulted in substantial declines in fertility rates, life expectancy and infant mortality rates, and an increased burden of tuberculosis. Three decades into the pandemic, our knowledge of HIV acquisition in women remains sparse, as are options of what women can use to reduce their risk of acquiring HIV. Here, we describe the role of pre-HIV responses to venereal diseases and then discuss unwanted pregnancies, early perceptions of the HIV epidemic in setting prevention priorities, and the history of microbicide development. Opportunities to reduce HIV risk in women through sexual reproductive health services are highlighted. Women are key to turning the tide of the HIV pandemic. Microbicides provide an opportunity to ensure survival of women while addressing the power disparities that underpin women’s vulnerability to HIV.
An exploration of the impact of a service-learning programme in two school communities.
(2009) Humphries, Hilton Richard.; Mitchell, Carol Jean.
Research in the area of service-learning has been steadily growing over the past decade, with an interest in the benefits for all parties involved in its implementation. However, research into the impact that service learning has on the community has been severely under-researched remaining practically absent from the service-learning research agenda. This qualitative study attempted to gain in-depth knowledge on the impact of service learning on two school communities. The research made use of participatory research techniques as they allow the researcher to access the ‘community voice’ and ‘hand over’ the research process. As the focus groups involved children, participatory techniques were used to elicit information regarding what element of the service-learning programme affected the learner’s experiences of participating in the service-learning programme. Ranking activity was the participatory technique used (Theis and Grady, 1991). The study had interesting results relating to what elements affect the community experience of service-learning programmes. Main findings include student characteristics, relationship development and how the students gain from service-learning. It gained insight into many areas that require further study relating to community experiences, and illustrates the complexity that characterises the community experience.
Exploratory analysis of the ecological variables associated with sexual health profiles in high-risk, sexually-active female learners in rural KwaZulu-Natal.
(Public Library of Science., 2018) Humphries, Hilton Richard.; Osman, Farzana.; Knight, Lucia C.; Abdool Karim, Quarraisha.
Abstract available in pdf.
Implementation of adolescent-friendly voluntary medical male circumcision using a school based recruitment program in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(Public Library of Science., 2014) Montague, Carl.; Ngcobo, Nelisiwe.; Mahlase, Gethwana.; Fröhlich, Janet Ann.; Pillay, Cheryl.; Yende-Zuma, Fortunate Nonhlanhla.; Humphries, Hilton Richard.; Dellar, Rachael Claire.; Naidoo, Kogieleum.; Abdool Karim, Quarraisha.
Background: Epidemiological data from South Africa demonstrate that risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in males increases dramatically after adolescence. Targeting adolescent HIV-negative males may be an efficient and cost-effective means of maximising the established HIV prevention benefits of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) in high HIV prevalence-, low circumcision practice-settings. This study assessed the feasibility of recruiting male high school students for VMMC in such a setting in rural KwaZulu-Natal. Methods and Findings: Following community and key stakeholder consultations on the acceptability of VMMC recruitment through schools, information and awareness raising sessions were held in 42 high schools in Vulindlela. A three-phase VMMC demand-creation strategy was implemented in partnership with a local non-governmental organization, ZimnadiZonke, that involved: (i) community consultation and engagement; (ii) in-school VMMC awareness sessions and centralized HIV counselling and testing (HCT) service access; and (iii) peer recruitment and decentralized HCT service access. Transport was provided for volunteers to the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) clinic where the forceps-guided VMMC procedure was performed on consenting HIV-negative males. HIV infected volunteers were referred to further care either at the CAPRISA clinic or at public sector clinics. Between March 2011 and February 2013, a total of 5165 circumcisions were performed, the majority (71%) in males aged between 15 and 19 years. Demand-creation strategies were associated with an over five-fold increase in VMMC uptake from an average of 58 procedures/month in initial community engagement phases, to an average of 308 procedures/month on initiation of the peer recruitment-decentralized service phase. Post-operative adverse events were rare (1.2%), mostly minor and self-resolving. Conclusions: Optimizing a high volume, adolescent-targeted VMMC program was feasible, acceptable and safe in this setting. Adaptive demand-creation strategies are required to sustain high uptake.
Prevalence of HIV, HSV-2 and pregnancy among high school students in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: a bio-behavioural cross-sectional survey.
(BMJ., 2014) Abdool Karim, Quarraisha.; Kharsany, Ayesha Bibi Mahomed.; Leask, Kerry.; Ntombela, Fanelesibonge.; Humphries, Hilton Richard.; Fröhlich, Janet Ann.; Samsunder, Natasha.; Grobler, Anna Christina.; Dellar, Rachael Claire.; Abdool Karim, Salim Safurdeen.
Abstract available in pdf.
The preventive misconception: experiences from CAPRISA 004.
(Springer., 2014) Dellar, Rachael Claire.; Abdool Karim, Quarraisha.; Mansoor, Leila Essop.; Grobler, Anna Christina.; Humphries, Hilton Richard.; Werner, Lise.; Ntombela, Fanelesibonge.; Luthuli, Londiwe R.; Abdool Karim, Salim Safurdeen.
Abstract available in pdf.
Screening for ‘window-period’ acute HIV infection among pregnant women in rural South Africa.
(Wiley-Blackwell for British HIV Association., 2010) Kharsany, Ayesha Bibi Mahomed.; Hancock, N.; Fröhlich, Janet Ann.; Abdool Karim, Salim Safurdeen.; Abdool Karim, Quarraisha.; Humphries, Hilton Richard.
Objectives. The aim of this study was to evaluate the HIV-1 RNA pooled nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) strategy to screen pregnant women in the ‘window period’ of acute HIV infection (AHI) in rural South Africa. Methods. In 2007 and 2008, 750 consecutive pregnant women on their first antenatal care visit to a primary health care clinic were tested anonymously for HIV infection. HIV-1 RNA pooled NAAT was performed on HIV antibody-negative samples. All positive pools were tested individually and positive samples were classified as incident cases to calculate HIV incidence. Results. The overall HIV prevalence was 37.3% [95% confidence interval (CI) 34.3–41.3]. Of the 467 HIV antibody-negative samples, four (0.9%) were HIV-1 RNA-positive. The mean viral load in the four samples was 386260 HIV-1 RNA copies/ml (range 64 200–1228130). The HIV incidence was 11.2% per year (95% CI 0.3–22.1) and all women with AHI were <_ 21 years of age. Conclusions. Identifying AHI in pregnancy is important for health interventions to reduce perinatal and heterosexual transmission of HIV, and to estimate HIV incidence for epidemiological surveillance.