Kentucky and Georgia researchers partner to reach Black women at risk for HIV

Researchers at the University of Kentucky and Morehouse School of Medicine have partnered on a study funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) with a $1.2 million cooperative agreement to address HIV among Black women.

In Kentucky, nearly half of newly diagnosed HIV cases are among Black women, and in metropolitan Atlanta, Black women are about 15 times more likely than white women to be diagnosed with HIV. Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) model, the research team is conducting focus groups and interviews with community members to tailor existing interventions such as the “Healthy Love” program.

The study compares two groups: one receiving Healthy Love alone and another receiving Healthy Love combined with access and guidance for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Researchers are measuring outcomes including PrEP uptake, HIV testing, condom use, and the feasibility of the tailored intervention at two sites, Kentucky and Georgia, with approximately 216 women participating.

The goal is to develop a culturally grounded, community-led approach that improves health outcomes, breaks stigma around sexual health, and contributes to ending the HIV epidemic among Black women in these regions.

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