Strategies for improving the integrated program of HIV/AIDS with sexual and reproductive health: using nominal group technique

Context: The spread of HIV is growing, so that its way of transmission has created worries in the field of
sexual and reproductive health, because the wave of transmission has changed from injection to sexual
activities.
Aims: To evaluate the perspectives of sexual and reproductive health experts and providers on strategies
for improving the integrated program of HIV/AIDS with sexual and reproductive health using the nominal
group technique (NGT).
Setting and Design: Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran. NGT.
Materials and Methods: It was a semiquantitative/qualitative methodology research through NGT, based
on the opinions of 30 experts and sexual and reproductive health providers in the field of health in
Mazandaran (2016).
Statistical Analysis Used: Semiquantitative/qualitative analysis.
Results: In total, 15 cases got the scores of 2–62 as strategies to improve the integrated program of HIV/
AIDS with sexual and reproductive health. The highest scores were found in society-centered level and
stigma management, and the lowest scores were found in individual-centered level and negotiation skill
training.
Conclusion: One of the strategies to improve the integrated program of HIV/AIDS was the empowerment
of women and men in sexual and reproductive health and stigma management. Based on the results, the
NGT is a useful tool for doing researches and prioritizing the programs. Based on the expert opinion, it can
be concluded that designing strategies based on individual-, community-, and society-centered approach
would be an appropriate approach for improving the integrated program of HIV/AIDS with sexual and
reproductive health issues in Iranian society.