Choosing the best PrEP option to prevent HIV for young women in Kenya
Effectiveness of PrEP product choice on HIV prevention coverage among young women in Kenya seeking reproductive health services
This project offers young women getting reproductive health care in Kenya a choice between daily pills, monthly vaginal rings, or long‑acting injections to see which options help more people stay protected from HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11401652 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you go to a participating reproductive health clinic, staff will offer you different HIV prevention options—daily oral PrEP, a dapivirine vaginal ring, or long‑acting injectable cabotegravir—and let you choose which one to try. Clinic providers will get extra training and support so they can give these options and help with follow-up. The team will track who starts each product, who keeps using it over time, and whether more women stay covered from HIV when they can choose. Results will be used to improve how PrEP is offered inside family planning and other reproductive health services.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Young women (about ages 15–30) seeking reproductive health services in Kenya who are at risk for HIV are the ideal candidates for this project.
Not a fit: People who are already living with HIV, those not attending participating clinics in Kenya, or individuals unwilling to try alternative PrEP methods are unlikely to benefit from joining.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more young women could stay protected from HIV because they can pick a prevention method that fits their lives.
How similar studies have performed: Clinical trials have shown that long‑acting injections and vaginal rings can prevent HIV for some women, but using these options in routine clinics and offering product choice to improve real‑world coverage is less tested.
Where this research is happening
Birmingham, United States
- University of Alabama at Birmingham — Birmingham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Heffron, Renee a. — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Heffron, Renee a.
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 below.