Options for health: Western Cape: preliminary findings on the feasibility of incorporating options in to routine adherence counselling practice

Abstract

In response to a recent finding that 44.7% of people initiating ARV treatment in public health clinics in Cape Town had had unprotected sex at last sex (Eisele et al., 2009), we conducted a process evaluation of Options for Health: Western Cape, an intervention delivered by ARV adherence counsellors and aimed at reducing sexual risk behaviour and optimising ARV adherence among people on ARV treatment in Cape Town. Based on Motivational Interviewing and the Information, Motivation and Behavioural (IMB) skills model of behaviour change, Options is a model for counselling that is different to the model in which lay counsellors are currently trained by the AIDS Training, Information and Counselling Center (ATICC). The purpose of the report is to present findings relating to the implementation of Options for Health: Western Cape that will inform the decision on how to proceed with the rollout of the intervention.