Improving HIV viral control for men who use stimulants
Developing a U.S. National Cohort to Improve Virologic Suppression among Stimulant-using Men Living with HIV.
This project will recruit men living with HIV across the U.S. and offer a smartphone app plus home urine self-testing to help stimulant-using men stay on HIV treatment and keep their viral levels low.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11367988 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be recruited online as part of a large national group of men living with HIV to help researchers understand what affects care and viral control. The team will collect information about your social networks, local drug-use patterns, and treatment habits. A smaller group of 300 men who use stimulants will be randomly chosen to try the reSTART intervention, which combines a positive-affect program delivered through a smartphone app, home urine tests for medication adherence, and motivational messages. The study will also look at costs to understand whether this approach could be scaled up.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Men living with HIV in the United States—especially those who use stimulants and have access to a smartphone and mail delivery—are the intended participants.
Not a fit: People who are not men living with HIV, do not use stimulants, lack smartphone access, or cannot receive mailed testing kits are unlikely to be eligible or to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help stimulant-using men stay on HIV medicines and achieve lasting viral suppression through app-based support and home adherence testing.
How similar studies have performed: Previous app-based and positive-affect interventions have shown promise for improving adherence, but combining these with home urine adherence testing for stimulant-using men is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Spinelli, Matthew a. — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Spinelli, Matthew a.
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.