Youth perceptions of pre-exposure prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis: The case of Ulundi Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

Background: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa increased from 17.0 million in 2000 to 20.1 million in 2017. KwaZulu-Natal remains the epicentre of the HIV epidemic in South Africa. Despite the implementation of prevention strategies such as condom distribution, voluntary medical male circumcision, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), new HIV infections remain high. Understanding young people’s perceptions of PrEP and PEP is essential for improving the effectiveness of these biomedical prevention strategies. This study investigated youths’ perceptions of PrEP and PEP in the Ulundi Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal. Methods: A quantitative descriptive design was used. Six clinics were selected through simple random sampling from 19 clinics in Ulundi. Youth aged 18–35 years were recruited, and data were collected using structured questionnaires. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 29.0 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, United States). Results: A total of 400 responses were analysed. Regarding PrEP, 20.8% strongly agreed and 15.5% agreed that it reduces the risk of HIV, while 8.8% were neutral and 4.3% disagreed or strongly disagreed. However, 50.7% selected ‘not applicable’. For PEP, 29.0% strongly agreed and 4.0% agreed with its use, 8.5% were neutral, 14.5% disagreed or strongly disagreed, and 39.5% selected ‘not applicable,’ indicating mixed perceptions. Conclusion: Healthcare professionals and nursing educators should strengthen education and awareness on PrEP and PEP by ensuring accurate information and promotional materials are widely available in clinics. Greater collaboration among healthcare stakeholders is also needed to reduce stigma, strengthen HIV prevention practices, and support increased investment in youth-focused HIV prevention research. Contribution: Furthermore, the findings urge greater collaboration among healthcare stakeholders to reduce stigma, strengthen preventive practices and allocate greater research funding to HIV prevention initiatives targeting youth.