Helping adolescent girls and young women in South Africa and Zimbabwe stick with HIV prevention options
CARES: An adherence support intervention for multiple PREP methods among adolescent girls and young women in South Africa and Zimbabwe
This project will offer counseling, biomarker feedback, and a menu of supports to help adolescent girls and young women in South Africa and Zimbabwe continue using oral, injectable, or ring-based PrEP.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Research Triangle Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Research Triangle Park, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11191445 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work will adapt the CARES adherence support program so it fits real-world clinics and adds injectable PrEP. The team will do formative research to tailor the program and then deliver counseling, adherence biomarker feedback, and optional supports like clubs, phone calls, and SMS. The adapted intervention will be tested in clinics in Zimbabwe and South Africa to see whether more young women stay on PrEP. The study compares results to prior trial findings to understand feasibility, fidelity, and acceptability in routine programs.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adolescent girls and young women in South Africa or Zimbabwe who are at risk for HIV and are considering or using oral, injectable, or ring-based PrEP.
Not a fit: People outside the study countries, those not in the target age range, or those not using or considering PrEP are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more adolescent girls and young women could maintain protective PrEP levels and potentially avoid new HIV infections.
How similar studies have performed: A prior trial (MTN-034) that delivered CARES in research settings showed higher protective adherence for ring and oral PrEP compared with comparable studies, but this adapted program has not yet been proven in routine clinics.
Where this research is happening
Research Triangle Park, United States
- Research Triangle Institute — Research Triangle Park, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Roberts, Sarah Tyler — Research Triangle Institute
- Study coordinator: Roberts, Sarah Tyler
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.