Helping people on PrEP reduce drinking and stay on HIV prevention
Official title: A brief alcohol intervention to reduce alcohol use and improve PrEP outcomes: A randomized controlled trial.
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11388408 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A short counseling program using motivational interviewing and CBT aims to help people on PrEP who drink at risky levels cut back and keep taking their HIV prevention medicine.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $110,035 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AA030479-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11388408 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People in Vietnam who are initiating or re-initiating PrEP and who report risky or unhealthy alcohol use are the ideal candidates for this trial.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not drink at risky levels, who are not using PrEP, or who cannot attend the participating clinics in Vietnam are unlikely to benefit directly from this trial.
What this research studies
If you are starting or restarting PrEP in Vietnam and drink at risky levels, you may be randomly assigned to receive a brief alcohol counseling program or standard care. The counseling combines motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral techniques in a short-format intervention delivered at PrEP clinics. Researchers will follow participants to see if the counseling helps people stay on PrEP, take it as prescribed (including event-driven use when appropriate), and drink less. The team will also measure costs, feasibility, and acceptability to see if the program could be scaled across clinics.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could help people on PrEP reduce unhealthy drinking and improve adherence and persistence, lowering their HIV risk.
How similar studies have gone: Brief alcohol interventions have improved viral suppression among people living with HIV by increasing adherence, but using this approach specifically to improve PrEP outcomes is less tested and more novel.
Where this research is happening
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Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Go, Vivian F. — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Go, Vivian F.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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A brief alcohol support for PrEP users to boost HIV prevention
A short, friendly program helps people starting or restarting PrEP in Vietnam drink less and stick with PrEP to stay protected.
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Brief alcohol help to improve PrEP use in Vietnam
A short, friendly program helps people starting or restarting PrEP in Vietnam to drink less and stick with PrEP to prevent HIV.
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Reduce drinking to improve protection from HIV on PrEP
This project is trying a short counseling program to help people who drink alcohol while on PrEP drink less and stay on their PrEP medication.
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Reducing alcohol use to improve HIV prevention outcomes for men who have sex with men in Vietnam
This study is looking at how a short program can help men who have sex with men in Vietnam drink less alcohol and stick to their HIV prevention medication, PrEP, by offering friendly support and guidance.
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A youth-focused, community-based program tests whether trained young peers can help more adolescents get HIV PrEP in Brazil.
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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.