Quality of care is perceived to be high with community-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) services for female sex workers in Tanzania: Qualitative findings from a pilot implementation science study

Authors

Waimar Tun, Population Council
Donaldson F. Conserve
Catherine Bunga
Kidola Jeremiah
Louis Apicella, Population Council
Lung Vu, Population Council

Document Type

Article (peer-reviewed)

Publication Date

8-26-2023

Abstract

This qualitative study reports on female sex workers’ (FSWs) perceptions of the quality of antiretroviral therapy (ART) services they received as part of a community-based ART distribution intervention compared to services received by FSWs in the standard of care (SOC) arm. In-depth interviews were conducted with 24 participants to explore their perceptions of the quality of ART services. Data was analyzed using a quality-of-care framework that included but was not limited to, domains of accessibility, effective organization of care, package of services, and patient-centered care. Overall, FSWs in the intervention arm reported community-based ART services to be highly accessible, organized, and effective, and they highly valued the patient-centered care and high level of privacy. Community-based ART programs for FSWs can have high quality-of-care, which can have a positive effect on HIV treatment outcomes for FSWs.

Recommended Citation

Tun, Waimar, Donaldson F. Conserve, Catherine Bunga, Kidola Jeremiah, Louis Apicella, and Lung Vu. 2023. "Quality of care is perceived to be high with community-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) services for female sex workers in Tanzania: Qualitative findings from a pilot implementation science study," AIDS and Behavior, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-023-04155-4.

DOI

10.1007/s10461-023-04155-4

Language

English

Project

Supporting Operational AIDS Research (Project SOAR)