AI chatbot guides doxycycline PEP for MSM
Official title: An AI-Based Chatbot for Doxycycline as Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Men Who Have Sex with Men
Funded at Miriam Hospital · NIH-11416384 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A pilot study tests an AI chatbot to help men who have sex with men use doxycycline after exposure to prevent STIs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Miriam Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project start | September 12, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $225,917 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AI192507-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11416384 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adults 21+ who identify as MSM and are interested in doxycycline-PEP and AI-based health support.
✕Less likely to help
Participants unlikely to benefit include those not at risk for bacterial STIs or not interested in doxycycline-PEP or AI-driven counseling.
What this research studies
This project develops SAI, an AI-powered chatbot that uses motivational interviewing techniques to tailor STI risk education and promote doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis among MSM. The study will customize its conversations based on risk level and readiness to change, then test the chatbot in a small open-label pilot with 25 adult MSM recruited online, gathering data on accuracy, usability, and satisfaction. If promising, the team will refine the tool and explore broader feasibility for scaling AI-assisted STI prevention. The goal is to make evidence-based, accessible guidance more available without requiring frequent in-person visits.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this chatbot could help more MSM prevent bacterial STIs with doxycycline and reduce HIV transmission through improved prevention conversations.
How similar studies have gone: Previous behavioral interventions for STI prevention have shown benefits; this study explores a novel AI-based delivery of such support.
Where this research is happening
-
Miriam Hospital
Providence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tao, Jun — Miriam Hospital
- Study coordinator: Tao, Jun
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
HIV drug resistance in the new ART era in Kenya
This project looks at how HIV drug resistance develops and is managed in Kenya as newer HIV medicines become common.
-
HIV Drug Resistance in the ART Era in Kenya
A study looking at how HIV drug resistance emerges and changes as treatment options evolve in Kenya, with an eye toward improving care where monitoring is limited.
-
Adapting Future Thinking to Help Weight Loss
A patient-friendly program tests if imagining future outcomes can help people with obesity make better food choices and lose weight.
-
Weight-loss maintenance: using real-time data to tailor behavioral support
A weight-management program uses real-time prompts and personalized support to help adults keep weight off after initial loss.
-
Childhood adversity and teen substance use: how mood and feelings influence risky choices
A psychologist is studying how tough early life experiences affect teens’ chances of using substances, focusing on how feelings and mood may link adversity to later use.
-
Remote yoga for long-term weight loss
A remote yoga program added to an online weight-loss plan aims to help adults keep off weight for longer.
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.