Genesis to test SA market for HIV prevention and contraception patch

Genesis Analytics has been contracted to determine the acceptability and usability of microarray patches (MAPs) as a technology to provide HIV prevention and contraception to South African women, who are at greatest risk of HIV infection and unintended pregnancy.

MAPs are an easy-to-use, discreet technology that could simultaneously deliver long-acting HIV protection and contraception. MAPs would be self-administered and applied to the outer surface of the skin. Small projections would painlessly pierce the top layer of the skin, delivering the drug to the body. The technology is expected to improve adherence and access for women in low-resource settings.

PATH, an international non-profit global health organisation, through USAID funding, is in the early stages of developing MAPs and has contracted Genesis Analytics and our partner Matchboxology to determine the acceptability and usability of the MAPs technology in South Africa among end-users, healthcare providers and health policy-makers. Genesis will conduct interviews and focus-group discussions in three provinces in South Africa using different MAPs prototypes.

The findings from this study will help PATH understand the needs and preferences of users. The study will also prioritise user needs, to inform product design features and characteristics, as well as explore the health system’s requirements and the appropriateness of this technology in South Africa.

This project is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), under the terms of Cooperative Agreement #AID-OAA-A-17-00015. The contents are the responsibility of Genesis Analytics and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, PEPFAR, or the United States government.