Injectable HIV PrEP in maternity clinics to protect pregnant and postpartum women
Official title: Integrating Injectable LEN PrEP Delivery in Maternal and Child Health Clinics to Prevent HIV in Pregnant and Postpartum Women
Funded at University of Washington · NIH-11470489 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | September 14, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $734,438 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HD123957-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11470489 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are pregnant or postpartum women at elevated HIV risk who attend maternal and child health clinics and are offered LEN PrEP.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not at elevated HIV risk or not using PrEP would be unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
What this research studies
This project aims to bring a long-acting PrEP option into maternal and child health clinics to improve protection during pregnancy and after birth. It builds on prior work delivering PrEP in routine maternal care, focusing on safety, feasibility, and clinic-level barriers to access. The study outlines how to implement LEN PrEP initiation early in pregnancy and maintain coverage through the postpartum period in real-world clinic settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce new HIV infections among pregnant and postpartum women and lower the risk of mother-to-child transmission.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows feasibility and safety of PrEP in routine clinics, with ongoing questions about uptake and barriers that this study seeks to address.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Washington
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mugwanya, Kenneth Kiggundu — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Mugwanya, Kenneth Kiggundu
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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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.
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Improving HIV prevention for pregnant and postpartum women in South Africa
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.
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.