ArticleGates open research2025
Developing a male-specific counselling curriculum for HIV treatment in Malawi.
Article in Gates open research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Male partner involvement in pregnant and breastfeeding women's use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in a low-income setting in South Africa.Research square · 2026Article
- Core components of male-specific person-centred HIV care: a qualitative analysis from client and healthcare worker perspectives in Malawi.BMJ public health · 2024Article
- Implementing a male-specific ART counselling curriculum: a quality assessment with healthcare workers in Malawi.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Background: Men living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa have sub-optimal engagement in antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs. Generic ART counselling in Malawi does not meet men's needs. Methods: We developed a male-specific ART counselling curriculum, adapted from the Malawi Ministry of Health curriculum, based on literature review of men's needs and motivations for treatment. We piloted the curriculum with men in six communities, with focus group discussions to assess knowledge of ART, motivators and barriers to care, and perceptions of the male-specific curriculum (n=85). We analysed data in Atlas.ti using grounded theory. We finalised the curriculum in a half-day meeting with Ministry and partner stakeholders (n=5) and implemented it in two randomized trials (IDEaL and ENGAGE). We describe the steps to develop, test and finalize the curriculum. Results: We adapted three existing topics (status disclosure, treatment as prevention, and ART side effects) and added four new topics (how treatment contributes to men's goals, feeling healthy on treatment, navigating health systems, and self-compassion for the cyclical nature of lifelong treatment). Key motivators included: family wellbeing, having additional children, being financially stability, and earning/keeping respect. Men reported little prior understanding of how ART contributed to their personal goals, and were most interested in treatment as prevention, benefits of disclosure/social support, how to navigate health systems, and side effects with new regimens. Respondents stated that the male-specific counselling challenged the idea that men were incapable of overcoming treatment barriers to lifelong medication. Conclusion: Men need male-specific ART counselling curriculum to address their needs and increase access to and retention in HIV care. In the Malawi context, topics should include how treatment contributes to men's goals, navigating health systems, self-compassion for lifelong treatment, and taking treatment while healthy. Other countries with high HIV burdens and limited resources could follow the steps outlined in this paper. This curriculum is being evaluated within the two randomized trials.
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Registered trials
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