How stigma, depression, and poverty worsen chronic illnesses in sexual and gender minorities with HIV in Nigeria

Synergistic epidemics of non-communicable diseases, stigma, depression, and material insecurities among sexual and gender minorities living with HIV in Nigeria

NIH-funded research University of Maryland Baltimore · NIH-11370849

This project looks at how experiences like stigma, depression, substance use, and material hardship add up to make chronic health problems worse for sexual and gender minorities living with HIV in Nigeria.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Baltimore, United States)
Project IDNIH-11370849 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would be asked to share information about your health, mental health, substance use, experiences of stigma or violence, and access to money and services, and researchers will link that to clinical records and basic health measures for chronic conditions. The team will follow participants connected to partner clinics and community programs in Nigeria and use surveys, clinical exams, and existing study data to see which problems tend to occur together. By mapping these patterns, they plan to identify points where programs or services could be changed to help people stay in care and manage chronic diseases better. Findings will be used to develop targeted support and intervention ideas tailored to sexual and gender minority communities living with HIV.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults from sexual and gender minority communities in Nigeria who are living with HIV and willing to share information about their health, social conditions, and experiences of stigma or violence.

Not a fit: People who are not sexual or gender minorities, not living with HIV, or who live outside Nigeria are unlikely to be included or to benefit directly from this specific project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to targeted services that reduce stigma and improve mental health, social supports, and chronic disease care for sexual and gender minorities with HIV in Nigeria.

How similar studies have performed: Related research has linked stigma, depression, and substance use to worse HIV outcomes, but applying a syndemic approach specifically to HIV-related chronic diseases in low-resource settings is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Baltimore, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome VirusAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome VirusChronic Obstruction Pulmonary DiseaseChronic Obstructive Lung DiseaseChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.