Improving HIV prevention for pregnant and postpartum women in South Africa
Official title: Stepped care to optimize PrEP effectiveness in pregnant and postpartum women (SCOPE-PP) in South Africa
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11193642 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking to improve how well pregnant and new moms at high risk for HIV in South Africa can stick to taking their preventive medication, PrEP, by offering better support and easier access, so they can stay healthy and protect their babies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | January 8, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $68,535 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HD106862-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11193642 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are pregnant or postpartum women in South Africa who are at high risk for HIV.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not pregnant or postpartum, or those who are not at risk for HIV, may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on enhancing the effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for pregnant and postpartum women at high risk of HIV in South Africa. It aims to address the challenges of low adherence to PrEP during and after pregnancy by implementing a stepped care approach that includes rapid PrEP initiation, enhanced counseling, and community delivery options. The study will evaluate the cost-effectiveness of these interventions through a randomized control trial, providing insights that could inform national health policies. By leveraging previous findings, the research seeks to optimize PrEP use among this vulnerable population.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly reduce new HIV infections among pregnant and postpartum women, thereby improving maternal and child health outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown promise in integrating PrEP into antenatal care, indicating that this approach could be effective.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Joseph Davey, Dvora Leah — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Joseph Davey, Dvora Leah
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Healthy Families-PrEP: helping women in Uganda start and stay on PrEP during periconception, pregnancy, and postpartum
A program in Uganda helps periconception, pregnant, and postpartum women use PrEP safely to prevent HIV, with support sessions and monitoring.
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Healthy Families-PrEP: helping pregnant and new mothers in Uganda stay HIV-free
A family-focused program in Uganda tests an approach to help women who are planning pregnancy or are pregnant or postpartum use PrEP to prevent HIV infection.
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Injectable HIV PrEP in maternity clinics to protect pregnant and postpartum women
A doctor-scientist team is testing a twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention medicine for pregnant and postpartum women in high-risk areas to help keep them and their babies HIV-free.
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Stepped care to improve PrEP use for pregnant and breastfeeding women in South Africa
This project offers a stepped approach to help pregnant and breastfeeding women in South Africa start and keep using HIV prevention medicine (PrEP).
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PrEP in Pregnancy and Postpartum Data Hub
A patient-friendly data-sharing project that brings together information from many pregnancy and postpartum PrEP studies to better understand HIV prevention for mothers and their babies.
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Expanding PrEP access in Kenyan maternal and child health clinics for pregnant and postpartum women
This project will expand access to pre-exposure HIV medicine (PrEP) for pregnant and postpartum women by supporting clinics and healthcare workers in Kenya to offer it through routine maternal and child health services.
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.