Pharmacy delivery of HIV prevention and birth control for young women in Kenya
Exploring synergies in pharmacy-based delivery of PrEP and contraception for adolescent girls and young women in Kenya
This project offers HIV prevention pills (PrEP) and birth control at pharmacies to help adolescent girls and young women in Kenya get and use both services more easily.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11191588 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are a girl or young woman in Kenya, you may already go to pharmacies for contraception instead of clinics and might also need HIV prevention. This project is working with the Kenya Ministry of Health to offer nurse-navigators at 20 pharmacies in Kisumu who can help you learn about and start daily oral PrEP or the dapivirine vaginal ring along with your birth control. About 1,900 women ages 15–24 who come to these pharmacies for contraception will be invited to join and researchers will follow whether getting both services at the pharmacy makes it easier to begin and keep using them. If it works, pharmacy-based integrated services could make it simpler for young women like you to protect against HIV and unplanned pregnancy without going to a clinic.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are HIV-negative adolescent girls and young women ages 15–24 in Kisumu, Kenya who are seeking contraception at participating retail pharmacies.
Not a fit: People living with HIV, those outside the Kisumu area, those older than 24, or those who do not visit participating pharmacies would not be eligible or likely to benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make it easier for young women to get HIV prevention and contraception, reducing new HIV infections and unintended pregnancies.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work shows pharmacies can expand access to contraception and PrEP, but combining both services for young women in real-world pharmacy settings is relatively new and less tested.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- University of Washington — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Harrington, Elizabeth K — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Harrington, Elizabeth K
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.