Confidential text messages to help young sexual-minority males find HIV testing and prevention
Official title: Harnessing the power of text messaging to reduce HIV incidence in adolescent males across the United States
Funded at Center for Innovative Public Health Research · NIH-11367852 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Confidential text messages will give sexual-minority boys and young men (ages 13–20) information, reminders, and links to HIV testing and prevention services.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Center for Innovative Public Health Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Clemente, United States) |
| Project start | September 23, 2021 |
| Project end | December 8, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,355,297 |
| NIH project number | 5U01HD108738-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11367852 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are sexual-minority males aged 13–20 who live in the United States and can receive and read SMS text messages.
✕Less likely to help
People outside the 13–20 age range, those who are not sexual-minority males, or those without reliable mobile phone/text access may not benefit from this program.
What this research studies
You would receive regular, private text messages adapted from the #GrowingUpGuy program that provide information, reminders, and links to local testing and prevention resources. Messages are designed for sexual-minority male youth, including teens in rural areas and the southern U.S., and are tailored to be safe for those who are not out. The program is delivered across the United States and can connect you to testing, counseling, and prevention services when you need them. Researchers will follow participants over time to see whether the messaging increases HIV testing and lowers new infections among 13–20 year-olds.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could increase HIV testing and reduce new HIV infections among sexual-minority adolescent males.
How similar studies have gone: Previous text-message interventions have shown promise for increasing HIV testing and safer behaviors in similar youth groups, but this project aims to test impact on new infections at a national scale.
Where this research is happening
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Center for Innovative Public Health Research
San Clemente, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ybarra, Michele L. — Center for Innovative Public Health Research
- Study coordinator: Ybarra, Michele L.
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.