PrEP choices to better protect young women at reproductive health clinics in Kenya
Official title: Effectiveness of PrEP product choice on HIV prevention coverage among young women in Kenya seeking reproductive health services
Funded at University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11140972 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project compares daily pills, monthly injections, and vaginal rings to help young women visiting reproductive health clinics in Kenya stay protected from HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project start | September 14, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $329,851 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH134681-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11140972 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Young women (about 15–30 years old) attending participating reproductive health clinics in Kenya who are at risk for HIV and interested in using PrEP are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Women who already have reliable HIV prevention through other means, who do not want to use PrEP products, or who have medical reasons they cannot use specific PrEP options may not benefit.
What this research studies
If you are a young woman using family planning or antenatal services in Kenya, you may be offered different HIV prevention options such as daily oral PrEP, a monthly dapivirine ring, or periodic injectable cabotegravir. Clinic staff will be trained and clinic systems organized to offer these choices as part of routine reproductive care and to help with follow-up. The team will track which products women start, how long they continue them, and whether offering a choice improves ongoing protection. The focus is on making prevention easier to use and better matched to women’s lives so fewer people stop using it.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help more young women stay continuously protected from HIV by offering longer-acting PrEP options that fit their needs.
How similar studies have gone: Oral PrEP has been proven to prevent HIV but many young women stop taking it, while recent trials show dapivirine rings and injectable cabotegravir can provide effective, longer-acting protection, so offering choice and clinic integration builds on that evidence.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Heffron, Renee a. — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Heffron, Renee a.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
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.
-
PrEP options for young Kenyan women: improving HIV protection and adherence
This grant tests how different PrEP options for young women in Kenya affect steady HIV protection when they access reproductive health services.
-
PrEP choices to prevent HIV for young Kenyan women seeking reproductive care
This project compares daily PrEP pills, a monthly vaginal ring, and injectable PrEP to find which option helps young women getting reproductive health care in Kenya stay protected from HIV.
-
Choosing the best PrEP option to prevent HIV for young women in Kenya
This project offers young women getting reproductive health care in Kenya a choice between daily pills, monthly vaginal rings, or long‑acting injections to see which options help more people stay protected from HIV.
-
How different PrEP products can improve HIV prevention for young women in Kenya
This study is looking at how well different HIV prevention methods, like special rings and injections, work for young women in Kenya, and it aims to make it easier for them to use these options by improving support from healthcare providers.
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.