How broken social ties and stigma affect HIV care and spread among displaced men who have sex with men in Ukraine
Social network disruption, stigma, and HIV transmission and care dynamics among forcibly displaced MSM in Ukraine
The project compares displaced and local men who have sex with men in Ukraine to understand how disrupted social networks and stigma change HIV transmission and access to care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11129745 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are a man who has sex with men (MSM) living in Ukraine—either displaced by the war or a local resident—you may be invited to join. The team will use modified respondent‑driven sampling to enroll 1,200 MSM (600 displaced and 600 local) across Kyiv and Lviv and collect information about social networks, behaviors, and experiences of stigma. Participants living with HIV will be asked to provide a blood sample for viral load testing to see how well treatment is working. The research compares displaced and local communities to find how social disruption, substance use, and stigma affect testing, treatment, and HIV spread.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Men who have sex with men living in Kyiv or Lviv, Ukraine, including those internally displaced by the conflict and local residents, are the intended participants.
Not a fit: People who are not MSM, live outside Kyiv or Lviv, refuse to provide social or blood information, or do not want linkage to care are unlikely to directly benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Findings could help shape services that reduce stigma, improve testing and treatment access, and lower HIV transmission for displaced and local MSM in Ukraine.
How similar studies have performed: Prior social‑network and stigma studies have improved testing and care linkage in other settings, but work focused on forcibly displaced MSM in wartime Ukraine is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Irvine, United States
- University of California-Irvine — Irvine, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vasylyeva, Tetyana — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Vasylyeva, Tetyana
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.