Reviewer’s report
Title: 
Experiences with simultaneous use of contraception and the vaginal ring
for HIV prevention in sub-Saharan Africa
Version: 
0 
Date: 
08 Mar 2021
Reviewer: 
Joseph Abi Jaoude
Reviewer's report:
Thank you for the opportunity to review this manuscript, I have no COI to
disclose. 
The authors present interesting qualitative data regarding the use of
contraception and vaginal ring for HIV prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa. The
study presents important data for the health care of a relatively underserved area.
Few suggestions:
General comment: I suggest the authors revise their manuscript and try to
simplify the language and sentences used. 
Abstract: 
"Concurrent use of contraception and an HIV prevention intervention is one such
challenge". Please remove this sentence 
Please divide the methods section into sub-headings. 
Please give more insight into the inclusion/exclusion of the ASPIRE Trial, and
of your study.
"Table 1 displays participant characteristics of the qualitative subset." Please
rephrase. 
"dubious" please use another adjective. 
The authors could potentially include more results and maybe some more
participants' answers. The beauty of qualitative studies is that it gives direct
insight into what patients might be thinking or feeling, instead of transforming
that into nothing but numbers. So I feel that elaborating a bit more on patients'
responses would be a nice addition to the text. 
"discontinuing use of the HIV prevention product" > please change to
"discontinuing HIV prevention measures…"
"their acceptance of and willingness" > please change to "their acceptance and
willingness…"
Table 1: change age: "median (mean, min-max)" to "median (range)". And
please remove the mean. No point in having both median and mean. 
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Is the study design appropriate to answer the research question (including the use
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