Wising up to alcohol-related HIV risk
A counseling program for STI patients attending primary health care clinics in Cape Town, South Africa
2010
Programs that specifically address the link between alcohol and HIV are extremely rare. However, a small number of promising interventions have recently been developed and implemented in sub-Saharan Africa and India. These provide valuable lessons about the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of several approaches to reducing alcohol-related risky sexual behavior.
This case study examines a program in South Africa, where rates of alcohol consumption and HIV are among the highest in the world, and sexual risk taking and drinking frequently intersect. In Cape Town, the Phaphama (“Wise Up”) program demonstrated dramatic behavior change in the months following a single, 60-minute counseling session offered to repeat patients at a sexually transmitted infection clinic.
This case study was prepared by the AIDSTAR-One project. As an AIDSTAR-One partner organization, ICRW provided technical oversight on this publication. An online, interactive version of this case study is available at AIDSTAR-One.
Related publications:
Prevention of Alcohol-related HIV Risk Behavior
Alcohol Consumption and HIV Risk