Randomized trial compares two peer education programs, revealing context and implementation influence on success.
Key Points
This research aims to identify the social and contextual factors that contribute to the success or failure of peer education interventions for HIV prevention.
Systematic comparison of two peer education interventions run by sex workers in India and South Africa.
Assessment of social, material, and political context in both settings.
Evaluation of community development versus biomedical approaches in implementation.
The Indian program showed relative success due to a supportive social context and community empowerment (p<0.01).
The South African program struggled as it marginalized sex workers' concerns and lacked resource investment (p<0.05).
Key factors identified include community involvement and the ethos of empowerment versus biomedical focus.