Group program training people living with HIV to be prevention advocates in Uganda
Controlled Trial of Game Changers: A Group Intervention to Train HIV Clients to be Change Agents for HIV Prevention in Uganda
Six-session peer-led groups help people living with HIV in Kampala reduce stigma and encourage HIV testing and safer sex among their friends and partners.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rand Corporation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Monica, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11091517 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a six-session, peer-led group where people living with HIV learn how to talk with friends, family, and partners about HIV prevention. The program teaches skills to reduce internalized stigma, to disclose safely, and to promote HIV testing and condom use among people in your social network. The research randomly assigns participants to the program or to usual care to compare outcomes over time. A prior pilot showed the approach was feasible and produced promising early effects on disclosure, stigma, testing, and condom use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults living with HIV in Kampala, Uganda who are receiving care and are willing to attend peer-led group sessions are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who are not living with HIV, who cannot or will not join group sessions or disclose to their social networks, or who live outside the Kampala study area are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help lower HIV transmission and reduce stigma by empowering people with HIV to support testing and safer-sex choices in their communities.
How similar studies have performed: A prior NIMH R34 pilot of the same program found high feasibility and promising effects on advocacy, stigma, disclosure, condom use, and HIV testing, and other peer-led prevention programs have shown encouraging but mixed results.
Where this research is happening
Santa Monica, United States
- Rand Corporation — Santa Monica, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wagner, Glenn John — Rand Corporation
- Study coordinator: Wagner, Glenn John
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.