Adding STI testing to PrEP services for women
Official title: Integrated Female Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing for HIV Epidemic Control through PrEP: The IN-STEP study
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11262285 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project adds testing for common sexually transmitted infections to PrEP services to help women ages 15–39 start and keep using HIV prevention medication.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | March 13, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $262,261 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI177132-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11262285 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women ages 15–39 who are sexually active and live in or access care in high-HIV-burden communities would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are already living with HIV, are outside the age range, or are unwilling to consider PrEP or clinic follow-up would not benefit from joining this trial.
What this research studies
You would be randomly assigned to either routine symptom-based screening alone or screening plus diagnostic testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomonas, and syphilis. The team will offer point-of-care or lab STI tests, treat any infections found, and connect women to PrEP services. Researchers will follow participants to see whether adding STI testing increases PrEP starts and longer-term PrEP use among women aged 15–39. The work focuses on clinics in high-HIV-burden areas and includes follow-up visits to monitor care and medication use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help more women at risk start and stay on PrEP, lowering their chance of acquiring HIV.
How similar studies have gone: Research shows curable STIs are markers of future HIV risk, but routinely integrating multiplex cSTI testing into PrEP programs for women is a newer approach with limited prior implementation evidence.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Grabowski, Mary Kathryn — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Grabowski, Mary Kathryn
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Mobile health support to boost PrEP and contraception use among young women in Zambia
A mobile health program helps female university students in Zambia learn about and access HIV prevention and contraception.
-
How PrEP Drugs Affect HIV Risk in Women and Reproductive Health
This project looks at how PrEP medicines work for women, and whether they influence pregnancy-related processes in the uterus.
-
STI testing added to PrEP programs to protect women from HIV
Offering STI testing alongside routine risk screening to see if more women aged 15–39 start and keep using PrEP to prevent HIV.
-
Mobile health tool to boost PrEP and contraception use among female university students in Zambia
A mobile, peer-supported program helps young women in Zambia start and stick with PrEP and modern contraception to prevent HIV and unintended pregnancy.
-
Tablet-based peer support to help female university students in Zambia use PrEP and contraception
A tablet-led peer navigator program to help female university students in Zambia learn about and start using PrEP and modern contraception.
-
Improving HIV prevention for African women through integrated testing.
This study is looking to help African women stay healthy by adding tests for treatable sexually transmitted infections to current HIV prevention programs, so they can get the right support and medication to lower their chances of getting HIV.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.