Helping people on PrEP reduce alcohol harms and protect gut health
Alcohol Misuse, Gut Microbial Dysbiosis and PrEP Care Continuum: Application and Efficacy of SBIRT Intervention
This project offers a brief alcohol help program (SBIRT) to people taking PrEP to reduce heavy drinking, protect gut bacteria, and help them keep using their HIV prevention medication.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Louisville NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Louisville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11143913 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you're HIV-negative and on or thinking about PrEP, researchers will ask about your alcohol use and PrEP experiences and do interviews to learn how drinking affects your choices. Some participants will get SBIRT, a short counseling and referral approach to reduce hazardous alcohol use, and everyone will be followed over time. The study will collect stool samples and clinical data to see how alcohol and PrEP affect the gut microbiome and side effects. The team will monitor PrEP adherence and health outcomes to see whether lowering alcohol use helps people stay on PrEP.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are HIV-negative adults who are currently taking or planning to take PrEP and who drink alcohol, especially those reporting hazardous or heavy use.
Not a fit: People who do not drink alcohol, who are HIV-positive, or who are not using PrEP would not be eligible and are unlikely to benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help people on PrEP drink less, reduce gastrointestinal and gut-related side effects, and remain on their prevention medication longer.
How similar studies have performed: Brief SBIRT programs have reduced hazardous drinking in other settings, but using SBIRT specifically to protect the gut microbiome and improve PrEP adherence is a newer approach with limited prior data.
Where this research is happening
Louisville, United States
- University of Louisville — Louisville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Barve, Shirish S — University of Louisville
- Study coordinator: Barve, Shirish S
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.