Youth-friendly HIV self-testing and prevention in Nigeria
Sustaining Innovative Tools to Expand Youth-Friendly HIV Self-Testing (S-ITEST)
This project tries ways to help Nigerian teens and young adults get and keep youth-friendly HIV self-tests, PrEP, and STI services.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11393665 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Young people help design the services through crowdsourced contests, designathons, and peer-led learning groups. The program provides HIV self-test kits, links to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), STI testing, and referrals to youth-friendly clinics across participating Nigerian communities. Researchers partner with local health teams to embed these services into routine care and test strategies to make them last over time. The work builds on earlier pilot programs and a larger trial and uses implementation science methods to track what actually works in real-world settings.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adolescents and young adults (about 14–24 years old) living in the participating communities in Nigeria who are at risk for HIV are the intended participants.
Not a fit: People older than the target age range or living outside the participating Nigerian local government areas are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could increase timely HIV testing and prevention access for adolescents and young adults in Nigeria and help reduce new infections.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier 4YBY pilot work and interim data from a larger randomized trial have shown promise for these youth-led, participatory approaches.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Iwelunmor, Juliet — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Iwelunmor, Juliet
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.