Word on the Street

South African Women Share Their Reproductive Health Stories

The Data

THE DATA

  • In sub-Saharan Africa, women aged 15-49 are nearly  twice as likely  to be living with HIV as men of the same age.
  •  Nearly 50%  of individuals are infected with herpes in South Africa. Many STIs are correlated with an increased risk of HIV.
  • In sub-Saharan Africa, only slightly  more than half (55%)  of the need for family planning is being met with modern methods.
  •  Learn more  about HIV, other STIs, and unmet need for contraception.

Multipurpose Prevention Technologies (MPTs) are innovative products that can simultaneously prevent HIV, other STIs, and/or unintended pregnancy.

Word on the Street

Word on the Street is an honest look into the sexual lives and reproductive experiences of women in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Uganda.

Meet the people behind the data.

This is not a map of politics or state borders, it's a map of ideas and experiences. We asked young African women, male partners, grandmothers, and health care providers about sexual and reproductive health choices. These first-hand stories uplift the diversity of their needs and desires.

Click on the different regions of the map below to hear directly from them as well as from African researchers who are working to improve their lives. The bar on the right side of the map allows you to zoom in.

1

"I'm worried about unplanned pregnancy"

Young women in South Africa discuss unintended pregnancy.

2

"We women don't have a choice"

Young women in South Africa share their thoughts on combining prevention.

3

"I want to protect myself in whatever way I can"

Young women in South Africa share their thoughts on HIV and prevention.

4

"It's a good thing to be protected"

Male partners in South Africa speak about HIV prevention.

5

"Life is too short"

Grandmothers of young women in South Africa discuss HIV, other STIs, and unintended pregnancy.

6

"MPTs can be a game-changer"

Researchers in Uganda discuss HIV, other STIs, and unintended pregnancy.

7

"Our interventions need to be culturally acceptable as well as conforming to the science"

A researcher in Zimbabwe talks about HIV, other STIs, and unintended pregnancy.

8

"Young people are not always able to use or negotiate condoms"

Researchers in South Africa discuss HIV, other STIs, and unintended pregnancy.

The Promise of MPTs

THE PROMISE OF MPTS

Multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs) can revolutionize the lives of women and adolescent girls by empowering them to protect themselves from unintended pregnancies, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections.

"These tools can be women-initated and have potential to be game-changers for the most at-risk populations"

 Learn more about the MPTs in development  in this first of its kind deep dive into the MPT pipeline and pathways to introduction in low- and middle-income countries. Products furthest along in development may be available within 5 years.


The Call for MPTs

THE CALL FOR MPTS

Hear about the game-changing potential for MPTs from researchers and healthcare providers in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Uganda.

Join the Movement

Join the Initiative for MPTs and help make this a better and healthier world.

We are the first and only global network bringing together all MPT stakeholders to identify fieldwide priorities and drive innovation. We work to ensure the most promising MPTs reach the hands of women who need them most.


MPT Target Population Mapping Tool

Interested in more data? Use the arrow below to click through this complementary tool focused on sub-Subharan African women aged 15-24. This map contains important data related to HIV prevalence and the total addressable market for contraception (TAMC) in the region.

  • Map 1: The darkest orange regions of this map represent areas with the highest HIV prevalence among girls and women aged 15-24.
  • Map 2: The darkest blue regions on this map represent areas with the highest unmet need for contraception among girls and women aged 15-24.
  • Map 3: The darkest brown regions represent "hot spot" areas where both HIV prevalence and unmet need for contraception are high.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to all those who shared their stories and expertise for this Story Mapping project. Their commitment to this project made it possible to bring epidemiological data to life and amplify the diversity of sexual and reproductive health needs of women. These stories were collected from Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town in South Africa, Kampala in Uganda, and Harare in Zimbabwe and documented as part of a collaboration between CAMI Health, Wits RHI, and FHI 360.

This tool was produced through the PROMISE (Preparing for Ring Opportunities through Market Introduction Support and Knowledge Exchange) activity under the Envision FP project. PROMISE supports early product introduction planning for the monthly dapivirine ring in sub- Saharan Africa, with the goal of shaping the market and establishing a service delivery platform to support future multipurpose and longer-acting vaginal rings. This tool was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the terms of cooperative agreement AID-OAA-A-15-00045. The contents are the responsibility of Envision FP and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, PEPFAR, or the U.S. Government.