Connecting adolescent girls and young women who face partner violence to PrEP prevention options
Meeting adolescent girls and young women who experience intimate partner violence where they are: Developing an implementation strategy for linkage to PrEP options
This project will develop ways to help girls and young women (ages 15–24) who experience intimate partner violence in sub‑Saharan Africa access PrEP options like daily pills, the dapivirine ring, or injectable cabotegravir.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11382608 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are a young woman who has experienced partner violence, researchers will work with local rape crisis and women’s centers to learn how you currently get care and what makes it hard to access HIV prevention. You may be invited to share your experiences and preferences in interviews or group discussions so the team can design a step‑by‑step plan to link people to PrEP services. The team will focus on options that do not require partner involvement, including long‑acting injectables and rings, and will test practical ways for centers to offer or refer to these options. The goal is to create a usable approach that local clinics and support centers can adopt to help women protect themselves from HIV.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Young women aged 15–24 in sub‑Saharan Africa who have experienced intimate partner violence or who seek services at rape crisis or women’s centers are the intended participants.
Not a fit: People outside the 15–24 age range, those not in sub‑Saharan Africa, or those who do not access partnering violence‑support centers are unlikely to be helped directly by this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make it easier for violence‑exposed young women to get discreet, effective HIV prevention and reduce new infections in this high‑risk group.
How similar studies have performed: PrEP and newer long‑acting PrEP options have lowered HIV risk in clinical trials, but using violence‑service sites as direct pathways to PrEP is a newer approach with limited prior testing.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Emory University — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Giovenco, Danielle — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Giovenco, Danielle
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.