The HIV prevention decision-making cascade: integrating behavioural insights into HIV prevention efforts
Source
Preventive Medicine Reports
PUBLICATION YEAR:
2024
OUTPUT TYPE:
Journal Article
Print
HSRC Library: shelf number 9814648
handle
20.500.11910/23672
The syndemic of HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and early pregnancy remain a key challenge to
global public health. Decision-making around sexual and reproductive health (SRH) behaviours is critical to
ensuring the uptake of biomedical technologies. Drawing from behavioural science theories, we propose a novel
conceptual frameworkâ??the Decision Cascadeâ??to describe the decision-making process that a user will go
through as they navigate these decisions. Analogous to the HIV prevention and treatment cascade, this model
describes key steps individuals go through when deciding to use HIV prevention technologies. Each step (being
cued/triggered to act, reacting to the behaviour, evaluating the behaviour, assessing the feasibility of acting and
the timing and final execution of the action), is influenced by a myriad of individual and socio-cultural factors,
shaping the ultimate decision and behaviour outcome in a continual cycle. This framework has applications
beyond HIV prevention, extending to other SRH technologies and treatments. By prioritizing human-centered
design and understanding user decision-making intricacies, interventions can enhance effectiveness and
address the complexities of SRH service uptake across diverse populations. The Decision Cascade framework
offers a comprehensive lens to inform intervention design, emphasizing the need for nuanced approaches that
resonate with the realities of decision-makers. Adopting such approaches is essential to achieving meaningful
impact in HIV prevention and broader SRH initiatives.