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TL;DR
Women reported that FLC groups were acceptable and beneficial, helping newly diagnosed women overcome fear of death, providing safe spaces for ART learning, and enabling adherence through peer reminders and home visits.
PLOS Global Public Health · 11 authors, 6 centres
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Women reported that FLC groups were acceptable and beneficial, helping newly diagnosed women overcome fear of death, providing safe spaces for ART learning, and enabling adherence through peer reminders and home visits.
Data were analysed using a content thematic approach. Three themes emerged: FLC groups as a source of hope and support, FLC members receiving quality health care, and challenges to adherence persisting. Women described the intervention as acceptable and beneficial in enhancing understanding of HIV and the need for ART. FLC helped women newly diagnosed with HIV come to terms with their diagnosis, overcome fear of death, and facilitated ART initiation, resumption, and adherence through peer reminders including home visits and coded messages. Receiving ART from support groups protected members from stigma and long facility lines. Key challenges included fear of stigma, health system constraints, high cost of caring for animals in income-generation activities, and lack of money to save in groups.