Conclusions
HIV and pregnancy protection
STIS
Understanding the relationship between binge drinking and AGYW’s likelihood to negotiate condom use with their partners is critical to understanding the necessity of interventions, such as the Cape Town YWHC, for empowering this population both economically and socially and to promote condom negotiation and use [The findings highlight how patterns of binge drinking can disempower women in relationships, leading to a lower likelihood of negotiating condom use, consequently putting AGYW at higher risk for transmission of HIV and other STIs and unintended pregnancy. Woman-focused interventions, such as the Cape Town YWHC, must strive to incorporate conversations about the impact of binge drinking on AGYW’s potential empowerment within their sexual relationships, including how to engage in conversations about HIV and pregnancy protection through condom use and other methods, with their male partners. Key program decision-makers need to consider the ways in which alcohol use interacts with other potentially disempowering factors, such as AGYW’s financial dependence on their partners and the length of their relationships. Addressing the intersectionality of the identities that empower or disempower AGYW in their relationships is crucial to understanding and mitigating their unique HIV risk.