Motivation Matters! text messages to help women stick to HIV treatment

Hybrid Type-1 Effectiveness-Implementation Trial of Motivation Matters! A Theory-Based mHealth Intervention to Support Early Antiretroviral Adherence in HIV+ African Women Who Engage in Sex Work

Not applicable Interventional University of Washington · NCT06745050

This project will test whether the Motivation Matters! text-message program helps women with HIV who are starting ART take their medicine and reach an undetectable viral load by six months.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment350 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexFemale
SponsorUniversity of Washington Academic / other
Locations1 site (Nairobi)
Trial IDNCT06745050 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

Researchers will compare women who receive individualized, interactive text messages plus standard care to those who receive standard care alone, with viral suppression at six months as the primary outcome. Participants receive three messages per week in month one, then two messages per week for the remainder of the six-month intervention, and are asked to send a brief standardized reply after each message. The program is delivered through a mobile phone-based platform and is targeted to HIV-positive women initiating ART who access Sex Workers Outreach Program clinics. Viral load measurements will be used to determine whether the texting intervention improves adherence and leads to undetectable viral load.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adult (over 18) women living with HIV who engage in transactional sex, are not currently on ART and are initiating ART at participating Sex Workers Outreach Program clinics, have access to a mobile phone, and can read messages or have someone read them.

Not a fit: Women who are already virally suppressed at baseline, are pregnant, plan to move away within six months, or lack reliable phone access are unlikely to receive benefit from this intervention.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the text-message program could help more women starting ART achieve undetectable viral loads by improving medication adherence.

How similar studies have performed: Previous SMS-based adherence programs in low-resource settings have shown modest to moderate success in improving ART adherence, though tailored interactive messaging for women engaged in transactional sex is less well tested.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Age \>18
* Transactional sex in past 12 months
* HIV-positive
* Not currently on ART
* Enrolled in one of the Sex Workers Outreach Program clinics
* Has access to mobile phone
* Willing to receive study text messages
* Able to read or have someone else read

Exclusion Criteria:

* Plans to move away in next 6 months
* Undetectable viral load at baseline
* Pregnant

Where this trial is running

Nairobi

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions HIV Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.