Non-adherence to Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) after sexual assault

Prevention of HIV following sexual assault is an important aspect of rape care. This includes taking Post Exposure Prophylaxis for 28 days. The present study aimed to provide an in-depth understanding of social and environmental factors that predisposed, promoted and also served as barriers to adherence to post exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV infection after sexual assault in women in the Eastern Cape Province. The study involved a purposive sample of women who were offered Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) after a sexual assault. Sixteen women were accessed at the Sinawe Referral Centre and participated in the study. Their ages ranged from 16 to 73 years. An interview guide was developed to assist the researcher, and semi-structured, in-depth interviews were used to collect data. These women were interviewed at the end of 28 days of taking the prophylactic medication. The data was analyzed inductively using grounded theory. Only three women completed the 28 days of PEP treatment. Participants gave different explanations for why they did not complete the treatment with only four participants returning to the centre for their medication...