Abstract
Objective: PrEP is an HIV prevention strategy that may play a significant role in assisting
young women with managing and minimising their chances of being exposed to HIV. Despite
the availability of PrEP, there are still new occurrences of HIV infections, especially among
young women compared to young men. The present study aimed to describe young women’s
lived experiences of using oral PrEP in South Africa.
Method: The study utilised a qualitative descriptive phenomenological research design. A
purposive sampling method was used, and the sample included six young women from
Nelspruit (Mpumalanga) and Johannesburg (Gauteng) in South Africa, between the ages of 22
to 24 years. Data was collected using face-to-face in-depth semi-structured interviews and
analysed using inductive thematic analysis.
Results: The following main themes were generated from exploring participants’ lived
experiences of using oral PrEP: Participants’ journeys toward discovering PrEP as a
preventative method for HIV, Participants’ growing sense of empowerment and agency, and
Recurrent obstacles experienced due to being a PrEP end user. Using PrEP exposed
participants to various positive outcomes and challenges that might have impacted their lived
experiences, including their PrEP adherence and uptake.
Conclusion: These results highlight the importance of participants having access to PrEP
knowledge and recognising their perceived HIV risk in their relationships, as they contribute
positively to participants’ interest in and willingness to use PrEP. However, further research
and description are needed to understand young women’s lived experiences of using oral PrEP.
Keywords: PrEP, young women, HIV, phenomenology, lived experiences, South Africa.