Rapid HIV treatment and stigma reduction for people who inject drugs
Reducing Stigma in People Who Inject Drugs with HIV Using a Rapid Start Antiretroviral Therapy Intervention
This project uses faster starts of HIV medicine and doctor-focused behavior changes to help people who inject drugs in Malaysia get care with less stigma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11128701 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are a person who injects drugs and living with HIV in Malaysia, this project aims to make it easier and faster for you to start HIV medicines and stay in care. The team works with local clinics and doctors to redesign how care is offered and to use behavioral tools like framing, nudges, and choice architecture to reduce discriminatory decisions and speed up ART initiation. The study tracks whether doctors prescribe ART sooner, how many people start treatment, and whether more people reach viral suppression. Researchers will collect information from clinics, medical staff, and patients to measure stigma, treatment starts, and viral suppression over time.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people who inject drugs living with HIV in Malaysia who are not yet on antiretroviral therapy or who face barriers to starting care.
Not a fit: People without HIV, people who do not inject drugs, or those already on stable ART with suppressed viral loads are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could increase timely ART starts and viral suppression while reducing discriminatory treatment toward people who inject drugs.
How similar studies have performed: Education and contact-based stigma programs have had mixed results in high-stigma settings, while using behavioral design to change clinician behavior is a newer approach with promising but limited prior evidence.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Altice, Frederick Lewis — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Altice, Frederick Lewis
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.