Moon and Sun Brothers: HIV prevention groups for Hispanic men
Official title: Moon and Sun Brothers: A group-based Prevention Intervention
Funded at San Francisco State University · NIH-11371328 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program offers group sessions using civic participation and peer support to help Hispanic men, including those not exclusively heterosexual, lower behaviors that raise their HIV risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | San Francisco State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $2,320,682 |
| NIH project number | 4UF1MH136574-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11371328 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Hispanic/Latino men in the U.S. who are at higher risk for HIV—including men who do not exclusively identify as heterosexual—are the intended participants.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not Hispanic/Latino men, those with low or no HIV risk, or those seeking only biomedical interventions may not benefit directly from this program.
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be placed into either the Moon and Sun Brothers group program or a control group and asked to complete brief questionnaires before the program and again 3, 6, and 12 months later. The project uses a quasi-experimental, longitudinal approach with two baseline assessments to measure change over time. Sessions are culturally tailored for Hispanic men and focus on social support, volunteering/civic involvement, and practical skills to reduce HIV risk. About 360 participants will be recruited from local venues using time-location sampling.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could lower HIV risk behaviors and strengthen community support and prevention access for Hispanic men at high risk.
How similar studies have gone: Group-based and community-tailored HIV prevention approaches have shown promise in other populations, but this is the first controlled test of this adapted program for understudied Hispanic male subgroups.
Where this research is happening
-
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sanchez-Vaznaugh, Emma V. — San Francisco State University
- Study coordinator: Sanchez-Vaznaugh, Emma V.
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.