Connecting adolescent girls and young women who face partner violence to PrEP prevention options
Official title: Meeting adolescent girls and young women who experience intimate partner violence where they are: Developing an implementation strategy for linkage to PrEP options
Funded at Emory University · NIH-11382608 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $49,885 |
| NIH project number | 3R21MH137783-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11382608 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
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.
✕Less likely to help
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.
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.
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 gone: 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
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Emory University
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Giovenco, Danielle — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Giovenco, Danielle
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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WINGS+PrEP: a mobile program to help women in the criminal-legal system start and stay on HIV prevention
A mobile-based program called WINGS+PrEP helps women in community supervision programs start and adhere to PrEP while addressing alcohol use and safety from violent partners.
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PrEP support for women in probation, parole, or alternative programs who face heavy drinking and partner violence
A mobile program combines alcohol and partner-violence support with PrEP guidance to help women under community supervision start and stay on HIV prevention.
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Linking young women affected by partner violence to HIV prevention options
This project will develop ways to connect adolescent girls and young women who face intimate partner violence in sub‑Saharan Africa with PrEP choices like daily pills, a vaginal ring, or long‑acting injections.
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Relationship-focused program to reduce partner violence and boost PrEP use for young women in Kenya
This program offers relationship support, partner outreach, and PrEP education to help adolescent girls and young women in Kenya start and keep taking daily HIV prevention (PrEP).
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Improving access to HIV prevention for transgender and gender diverse individuals affected by violence.
This study is working to help transgender and gender-diverse people in Los Angeles County who are at high risk for HIV get and stay on PrEP, a medication that can prevent HIV, by addressing challenges like housing, money, and mental health, all while partnering with local organizations to make sure the support fits the
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Helping young women in South Africa access HIV prevention options after experiencing partner violence.
This study is all about helping young girls and women in South Africa who have faced partner violence by finding better ways for them to access HIV prevention methods, like PrEP, so they can take charge of their health and feel empowered.
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.