Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) are the epicenter of the global HIV epidemic. The FANMI trial is an unblinded randomized-controlled trial which evaluated the effectiveness of a community-based model of cohort HIV care vs. standard clinic-based care among AGYW living with HIV in Haiti. Participants ages 16–24 years were randomized 1:1 to FANMI vs. standard care. In the FANMI intervention, cohorts of 5–10 participants attended monthly sessions in a community center for integrated HIV clinical care, group counseling, and social activities led by the same provider.

Haitian women are twice as likely as men to have HIV/AIDs. Factors underlying the feminization of HIV are complex. Self-esteem is an important correlate of sexual behavior. However, its meaning and impact on health behaviors may be influenced by cultural factors. This qualitative study took place in Haiti 4 months after the 2010 earthquake and examines the meaning of self-esteem among young Haitian women seeking treatment for a recurrent sexually transmitted infection (STI).