Farm-based support to improve sexual and reproductive health for adolescent girls and young women in Western Kenya
Assessing the effects of a multisectoral agricultural intervention on the reproductive and sexual health of adolescent girls and young women
The project gives farming households pumps, tools, and farming training to reduce food shortages and help adolescent girls and young women stay healthier and safer from HIV and other STIs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11143285 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You and your household would receive a water pump, agricultural tools, and training to grow more food and earn more from farming. The team will work in Kisumu, Homa Bay, and Migori counties and follow adolescent girls and young women over time to see if food security, mental health, and sexual health improve. They will collect health information, including STI/HIV testing and surveys, and watch how the program is delivered so it can be used more widely. The focus is on household-level changes that could reduce the economic pressures that increase HIV and STI risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adolescent girls and young women (roughly ages 15–24) living in farming households in Western Kenya who are experiencing food insecurity.
Not a fit: People who live outside the targeted counties, are not part of farming households, or do not face food insecurity are unlikely to benefit directly from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If it works, this approach could reduce HIV and STI risk while improving nutrition, mental health, and household income for young women.
How similar studies have performed: A prior pilot of the Shamba Maisha program showed it was feasible and linked to less food insecurity and better mental health, but broader economic interventions have had mixed results for lowering HIV/STI rates.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weiser, Sheri Dawn — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Weiser, Sheri Dawn
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.