Gender-affirming program to reduce stigma, substance use, and HIV risk for transgender women
Official title: A Gender-Affirming Stigma Intervention to Improve Substance Misuse and HIV Risk among Transgender Women
Funded at Illinois Institute of Technology · NIH-11360092 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program teaches gender-affirming coping skills to transgender women to reduce stigma-related distress, lower substance use, and reduce behaviors that increase HIV risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Illinois Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $248,999 |
| NIH project number | 5R00DA055508-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11360092 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are transgender women who experience stigma and psychological distress and who use substances or are at increased risk for HIV.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not transgender women, who do not have stigma-related substance use or HIV risk, or who require intensive psychiatric treatment are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
What this research studies
You would help adapt Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) using community input so the content fits transgender women's experiences. The team will run a small open pilot delivered by trained peers to refine the sessions and materials. After the pilot, they will conduct a larger, rigorous test of the peer-delivered, gender-affirming ACT to measure effects on internalized stigma, distress, healthcare avoidance, substance misuse, and HIV risk behaviors. Sessions are planned to be delivered in community settings by non-therapist peers and may include skills for coping with daily stigma and connecting to care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help transgender women feel less stigma, reduce substance use, and lower their risk of HIV infection.
How similar studies have gone: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and peer-led interventions have shown promise for reducing stigma and distress in other groups, but a gender-affirming, peer-delivered ACT specifically for transgender women is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Guy, Arryn Aleia — Illinois Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Guy, Arryn Aleia
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.