Harnessing the social capital of rural communities for adolescent and youth biosocial HIV prevention: exploring young people’s experiences and perceptions of a peer navigator intervention in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Novel interventions are required to reduce risky sexual behavior among adolescents and young people (AYP). We interviewed a purposive sample comprising AYP residing in the Africa Health Research Institute’s surveillance area and individuals involved in delivering a community-based peer navigator support intervention. Interviews were conducted in isiZulu, transcribed and translated into English for thematic analysis. We found that community resilience and trust were enhanced by “having lived in the area for a long time” and having both participants and peers coming from the same community with shared life experiences. Peer support did not mitigate the impact of stigma and community sexual norms toward the use of sexual and reproductive health services by AYP. Due to the focus on health through peer support, Thetha Nami only partially succeeded in linking AYP to supportive networks. The study highlights the importance of strengthening structural interventions to enhance linkages that address AYPs multifaceted needs.Trial registration: NCT04532307, clincialtrials.gov, March 2020, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04532307