Formalized peer referral to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis supported with self-testing: a mixed-methods pilot study among young Kenyan women

The uptake of daily oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)-a highly effective intervention-remains low among African adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) who could benefit. AGYW who initiate PrEP often do so through informal peer referral, which may be enhanced with formalized peer referral and peer-delivered HIV self-testing (HIVST). To understand the feasibility of this PrEP referral model among AGYW, we conducted a pilot study in Kenya.