People Living With HIV, Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer, and Health Equity

September 9, 2026 updated by: University of California, San Francisco

People Living With HIV (PLWH), Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer, and Health Equity: A Qualitative Study

This is an exploratory qualitative study among People Living With HIV (PLWH) of diverse racial/ethnic and sexual and gender minority (SGM) identities to explore individual, interpersonal, and structural oral health equity factors that serve as barriers or facilitators of accessing oral health care, knowledge and perceptions of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) /Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), and to collect recommendations on how to increase access to oral health care and engage PLWH in OSCC/OPSCC prevention.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

OBJECTIVES:

  1. To identify individual, interpersonal, and structural oral health equity factors (e.g., internalized stigma; enacted stigma; transportation/hours) that serve as barriers or facilitators to accessing regular and appropriate oral health care, among PLWH of intersecting racial/ethnic and SGM groups.
  2. To explore knowledge and perceptions about causes, risk factors, prevention, and screening for OSCC/OPSCC and HPV vaccination and if identity group membership influences knowledge and perceptions of these issues.
  3. To elicit recommendations for improving access to regular and appropriate oral health care, and suggestions on how to engage PLWH from diverse identity groups in prevention interventions.

OUTLINE:

There will be one screening and enrollment phone call and only one study visit for the Focus Group Discussions (FDGs). A short quantitative survey will be administered.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
133

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • San Francisco, California, United States, 94143
        • University of California, San Francisco

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

People living with HIV who identify with one or more racial/ethnic/ sexual or gender minority groups

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Participants must be 18-years old or older.
  • Participants must be individuals living with HIV
  • Ability to speak and understand English
  • Identify as one or more racial/ethnic minority groups or sexual and gender minority groups
  • All genders and members of all races and ethnic groups are eligible for this study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Younger than 18-years old.
  • Not living with HIV.
  • Not able to speak and understand English.
  • Not classified as one or more racial/ethnic minority groups or sexual and gender minority groups.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Qualitative Focus Group
Participants will be asked to a series of questions to help place them in a focus group with other individuals of shared identity and will also complete a short quantitative survey either emailed to the participant or the outreach worker/study coordinator will administer the survey by phone. Participants will then participate in one 1.5-2 hour, facilitated, focus group discussions (FGD).
Other: Group Meeting (Focus Group)
Focus Group Discussions (FDGs) will be recorded, transcribed, and coded.
Other: Questionnaires
Given electronically or via phone by study team staff

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Identification of potential oral health equity factors
Time Frame: Up to 3 days
Participants will complete a baseline questionnaire which will aid in the formation of the focus group with other individuals of shared identity. The Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) will be transcribed, coded, and the focus group guide will be updated following the Grounded Theory qualitative research methodology. The "data" from the FGD are the audio recordings and the transcripts. The digital transcript of each focus group will be uploaded to the software MAXQDA to aid with coding and analysis in identifying individual, interpersonal, and structural factors, if any, that may impact accessing oral health care.
Up to 3 days

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Assess participant perceptions about OSCC/OPSCC and HPV vaccination
Time Frame: During focus group, 1 day
FGDs will be transcribed, coded, and the focus group guide will be updated following the Grounded Theory qualitative research methodology. The "data" from the FGD are the audio recordings and the transcripts. The digital transcript of each focus group will be uploaded to the software MAXQDA to aid with coding and analysis in assessing information on participant's perception of causes, risk factors, prevention, and screening for OSCC/OPSCC and HPV vaccination.
During focus group, 1 day
Assess participant knowledge about OSCC/OPSCC and HPV vaccination
Time Frame: During focus group, 1 day
FGDs will be transcribed, coded, and the focus group guide will be updated following the Grounded Theory qualitative research methodology. The "data" from the FGD are the audio recordings and the transcripts. The digital transcript of each focus group will be uploaded to the software MAXQDA to aid with coding and analysis in assessing information on participant's knowledge of causes, risk factors, prevention, and screening for OSCC/OPSCC and HPV vaccination
During focus group, 1 day

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of California, San Francisco

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Alexandra Hernandez Levenston, PhD, MPH, University of California, San Francisco

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 13, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
November 30, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
November 30, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 20, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 20, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 28, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 11, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 9, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 23363
  • R03DE032972 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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