Ms. Lerato Makhale

Lerato Makhale is a South African public health researcher whose work centers on HIV prevention, community engagement, and digital health innovation. Affiliated with HIV prevention trial networks in Soweto and broader southern Africa, Makhale contributes to qualitative and mixed-methods studies embedded in major vaccine and PrEP trials, with a focus on young women and other populations disproportionately affected by HIV.

Research highlights include participatory explorations of HIV risk perception, preferences for long-acting injectable versus oral PrEP, and the role of discretion, stigma, and lifestyle fit in prevention uptake. This body of work emphasizes user-centered perspectives, narrative methods, and culturally grounded understandings of sexual behavior, shaping more responsive prevention strategies and counseling approaches.

Makhale also advances mobile health interventions, examining barriers and facilitators to app-based sexual risk assessments and maternal–child health tools. Additional scholarship on faith leaders and stigma underscores strengths in community-based inquiry and stakeholder engagement. Collectively, these contributions inform implementation science and equitable access to HIV prevention technologies in South Africa.