Linking young women affected by partner violence to HIV prevention options
Official title: Meeting adolescent girls and young women who experience intimate partner violence where they are: Developing an implementation strategy for linkage to PrEP options
Funded at Emory University · NIH-11145154 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will develop ways to connect adolescent girls and young women who face intimate partner violence in sub‑Saharan Africa with PrEP choices like daily pills, a vaginal ring, or long‑acting injections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $123,336 |
| NIH project number | 5R21MH137783-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11145154 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adolescent girls and young women aged 15–24 in sub‑Saharan Africa who have experienced intimate partner violence and are at risk for HIV.
✕Less likely to help
People outside the 15–24 age range, those not experiencing partner violence, or those already using effective HIV prevention options are less likely to benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If you're a young woman who has experienced partner violence, this project aims to design practical ways to help you access HIV prevention through places you already trust, such as rape crisis centers or women's support services. The team will speak with young women, providers, and service organizations in selected sites in sub‑Saharan Africa to learn about barriers, preferences, and safety concerns around daily oral PrEP, the dapivirine ring, and injectable cabotegravir. Using those conversations, they will create a multi‑component implementation plan to link violence‑care services to discreet PrEP options and referral pathways. The goal is to produce steps that clinics and support centers can use to offer safer, more acceptable prevention choices to violence‑exposed young women.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make it easier for young women who face partner violence to get discreet, effective HIV prevention and reduce their risk of infection.
How similar studies have gone: Oral PrEP and newer long‑acting options like the dapivirine ring and injectable cabotegravir have shown protection in trials, but using violence‑care services as a routine pathway to deliver these options is a relatively new and untested approach.
Where this research is happening
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Emory University
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Giovenco, Danielle — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Giovenco, Danielle
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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WINGS+PrEP: a mobile program to help women in the criminal-legal system start and stay on HIV prevention
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Connecting adolescent girls and young women who face partner violence to PrEP prevention options
This project will develop ways to help girls and young women (ages 15–24) who experience intimate partner violence in sub‑Saharan Africa access PrEP options like daily pills, the dapivirine ring, or injectable cabotegravir.
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PrEP support for women in probation, parole, or alternative programs who face heavy drinking and partner violence
A mobile program combines alcohol and partner-violence support with PrEP guidance to help women under community supervision start and stay on HIV prevention.
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Relationship-focused program to reduce partner violence and boost PrEP use for young women in Kenya
This program offers relationship support, partner outreach, and PrEP education to help adolescent girls and young women in Kenya start and keep taking daily HIV prevention (PrEP).
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Improving access to HIV prevention for transgender and gender diverse individuals affected by violence.
This study is working to help transgender and gender-diverse people in Los Angeles County who are at high risk for HIV get and stay on PrEP, a medication that can prevent HIV, by addressing challenges like housing, money, and mental health, all while partnering with local organizations to make sure the support fits the
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Helping young women in South Africa access HIV prevention options after experiencing partner violence.
This study is all about helping young girls and women in South Africa who have faced partner violence by finding better ways for them to access HIV prevention methods, like PrEP, so they can take charge of their health and feel empowered.
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.