This resource pack is meant for anyone working on HIV prevention and or around sexual health and interested in addressing Concurrant Sexual Partnerships (CSPs) more effectively.
There is much discussion on the role of CSPs in the rapid spread of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Some people argue that CSPs have been and remain a key driver of HIV epidemics in southern and eastern Africa. Others advocate that there is not enough or possibly flawed evidence to conclude that concurrency has played or plays such a critical role in HIV transmission. A number of studies did not find a link between high levels of concurrency and HIV. Alternative explanations emphasize that other factors such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), poverty, gender inequity and poverty-related diseases should be at the forefront of explanations about the sustained HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa.
In our view, imperfect data about concurrency should not stop us from messaging about the dangers of sexual networks. In many countries researchers and practitioners have developed campaigns and materials to this end. This pack aims to provide:
- an overview of existing HIV prevention approaches and matching materials around CSPs, and where these materials can be found;
- reflections on how work on HIV prevention in relation to CSPs could possibly be enhanced;
- inspiration to develop and implement activities at the community level that enhance people’s skills to reduce their risk to HIV infection.
Authors
