Improving sexual health care training for providers in Africa
Official title: Evaluating the effects of reproductive health training on provider behavior
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11478473 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A university-led project tests whether specially designed sexual health training for future healthcare workers in Tanzania improves their knowledge, attitudes, and clinical skills.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2018 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $77,514 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HD092655-09S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11478473 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Future healthcare providers in sub-Saharan Africa, especially students in nursing, midwifery, and medicine.
✕Less likely to help
Patients may not directly benefit unless the trained providers apply the skills in practice.
What this research studies
This project builds and tests a sexual health curriculum for medical, nursing, and midwifery students at MUHAS in Tanzania. It started with formative research to tailor content to local needs and conducted a rigorous single-blind randomized trial to measure its effects on student knowledge, attitudes, and clinical skills. The goal is to determine if this training can be reliably adopted to improve sexual health care delivery in sub-Saharan Africa.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the training could lead to better sexual health care and outcomes for patients in Africa.
How similar studies have gone: Previous results showed the curriculum was acceptable and improved knowledge, attitudes, and skills at 3 months.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rosser, B R Simon — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Rosser, B R Simon
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
AskDoki: a mobile chat bot to improve adolescent sexual health in Kenyan youth
A mobile AI chat bot, AskDoki, will provide on-demand sexual and reproductive health information to 15-year-olds in urban Kenyan communities, with support from trained youth peer leaders.
-
Male pesticide exposure and reproductive health through epigenetics
This project looks at how a man’s exposure to pesticides might affect his fertility and the health of his future children through changes in DNA.
-
New survey tools to improve participation and quality of sexual and reproductive health data
A patient-friendly project tests how new online survey features can help more people share accurate pregnancy and sexual health information.
-
How choosing PrEP products could improve HIV protection for young women in Kenya
This project looks at which HIV-prevention options young Kenyan women prefer and how choosing a product affects how well they stay protected.
-
Effectiveness of PrEP product choice for HIV prevention among young Kenyan women seeking reproductive health services
A study tests which PrEP options best help young Kenyan women stay protected against HIV when they access reproductive health services.
-
Understanding how vaginal tissue changes after menopause affect reproductive health
A research team is studying why the vaginal lining changes after menopause and how this affects health, with potential solutions to improve comfort and reduce infection risk for postmenopausal women.
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.