Kelly Christine A, Friedland Barbara A, Morar Neetha S, Katzen Lauren L, Ramjee Gita, Mokgatle Mathildah M, Ahmed Khatija
a Population Council , New York , USA.
Cult Health Sex. 2015;17(8):1004-20. doi: 10.1080/13691058.2015.1030451. Epub 2015 Apr 27.
Gender norms that privilege men's sexual power and pleasure, and distrust of condom use in intimate relationships, leave women vulnerable to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Vaginal microbicides allow women to exert a degree of control over their sexual health, through responsibility for product insertion as well as the possibility of covert use. In practice, however, the uptake of new HIV-prevention products is heavily influenced by partnership dynamics. This paper presents a secondary analysis of data from two qualitative sub-studies conducted during a Phase 3 microbicide efficacy trial in South Africa. Using transcripts from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 278 female trial participants and 27 male partners, we investigated the extent to which women disclosed microbicide use to their partners, and the level and types of male engagement with microbicide use. Most women chose to communicate with their partners about the trial, but the timing and content of associated discussions differed according to their motivation for disclosure. Men provided their partners with both moral and practical support, but reported a desire for greater involvement in decision-making surrounding microbicide uptake and use. The findings inform recommendations for constructive male participation in future trials and, ultimately, introduction of a marketed product.
那些赋予男性性权力和性快感特权的性别规范，以及在亲密关系中对使用避孕套的不信任，使女性容易感染艾滋病毒和其他性传播感染。阴道杀微生物剂使女性能够通过负责产品插入以及秘密使用的可能性，对自身性健康施加一定程度的控制。然而，在实际中，新型艾滋病毒预防产品的采用受到伴侣关系动态的严重影响。本文对在南非进行的一项3期杀微生物剂疗效试验期间开展的两项定性子研究的数据进行了二次分析。利用对278名女性试验参与者和27名男性伴侣进行的深入访谈及焦点小组讨论的文字记录，我们调查了女性向伴侣透露使用杀微生物剂情况的程度，以及男性参与杀微生物剂使用的程度和类型。大多数女性选择与伴侣交流试验情况，但相关讨论的时机和内容因她们透露的动机而异。男性为伴侣提供了道德和实际支持，但表示希望更多地参与围绕杀微生物剂采用和使用的决策。这些研究结果为男性建设性地参与未来试验以及最终引入上市产品的建议提供了依据。
