Enhancing Communication on Relationship Preservation, Safer Conception and PrEP to Promote HIV Testing in Uganda

January 15, 2026 updated by: Emily Hurley, Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas City
Our novel communication strategy aims to promote HIV testing in Uganda with reassuring messages about the ability to have stable relationships and healthy families with the increased availability of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of this communication strategy among clients and partners within assisted partner notification and antenatal care programs in two hospitals and evaluate preliminary effects.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

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

Optimizing uptake of HIV testing is critical to meeting 95-95-95 goals in sub-Saharan Africa. As 30% of new infections in occur within married or cohabitating couples, maximizing testing among individuals who are or may someday be in serious heterosexual relationships has been identified as one of the most cost-effective strategies to curb the epidemic. Childbearing is highly valued throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, and fears of relationship dissolution and loss of the ability to have children remain significant barriers to HIV testing. The expanding availability of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) presents an opportunity to counter these fears with strategic communication (NOT-MH-21-105) that reassure couples of their ability to have a healthy family even if one or both members are HIV positive. Our long-term objective is to leverage the growing availability of PrEP to determine if and how a communication strategy focused on relationship preservation and safer conception can increase testing and entry into treatment (antiretroviral therapy) or prevention (PrEP) among partnered individuals in Uganda. We recently successfully piloted this communication strategy within Uganda's assisted partner notification program (APN). In this R34, we will: (1) conduct formative research to expand the communication strategy into a multi-component intervention with broader reach; and (2) conduct a pilot trial of the intervention, PrEPing Healthy Families. To achieve Aim 1, we will work with a community advisory board (CAB) of providers to a) create communication materials (brochures, scripts) and counseling protocols tailored to clients and partners across the array of couples' testing pathways in APN and antenatal care (ANC). As CAB providers pilot materials and tracking systems with clients and partners during this development phase, study staff will conduct field observations and qualitative interviews focused on feasibility and acceptability, informing revised intervention materials. To achieve Aim 2, we will collect baseline data at APN and ANC clinics within two large public healthcare facilities over nine months. Sites will then be randomized to implement PrEPing Healthy Families or their existing communication approach (usual care) over the next nine months. We will collect mixed-methods data on feasibility and acceptability through intervention tracking in APN/ANC registers, client exit surveys, and qualitative interviews with clients, partners and providers. Through register extraction, we will examine limited efficacy on outcomes that would be relevant to a larger trial (partner HIV testing, client service uptake initiation of PrEP/ART), and explore potential moderators. Overall, results will yield important insights in a promising new communication strategy (NOT-MH-21-105) that may connect more individuals to the HIV cascades of care for treatment or prevention and prepare us for a large-scale, cluster randomized controlled trial to determine impact on testing and initiation of PrEP/ART.

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.
Interventional

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.
7666

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

  • Uganda
      • Gombe, Uganda
        • Gombe Hospital
      • Mityana, Uganda
        • Mityana Hospital

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

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Client or partner of client receiving antenatal or assisted partner notification services at one of two study hospitals (Gombe Hospital or Mityana Hospital)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals under the age of 18 years (for interviews and surveys only)

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

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
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.
No Intervention: Usual care
Experimental: Communication intervention "HOPE"
  • Patient-facing education materials
  • Provider counseling job aid and training
Behavioral: HOPE Clinical Communication Campaign
  • Patient-facing educational materials
  • Provider counseling training and job aid

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
Time Frame
Change in rate of partner HIV testing (antenatal care)
Time Frame: 7 month baseline period and 7 month intervention period
7 month baseline period and 7 month intervention period
Change in rate of partner HIV testing (assisted partner notification)
Time Frame: 7 month baseline period and 7 month intervention period
7 month baseline period and 7 month intervention period

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Change overall facility-level HIV testing
Time Frame: 7 month baseline period and 7 month intervention period
7 month baseline period and 7 month intervention period
Change in PrEP uptake among eligible HIV negative partners
Time Frame: 7 month baseline period and 7 month intervention period
7 month baseline period and 7 month intervention period
Change in ART uptake among eligible HIV positive partners
Time Frame: 7 month baseline period and 7 month intervention period
7 month baseline period and 7 month intervention period

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.
Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas City

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 Mental Health (NIMH)
Makerere University

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: Emily Hurley, PhD, Children's Mercy Kansas City

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.
September 15, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

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.
July 4, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

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.
October 1, 2025

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).
October 16, 2024

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.
October 16, 2024

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.
October 18, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

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.
January 16, 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.
January 15, 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.
January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • STUDY00002400
  • 5R34MH132473 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

De-identified dataset and other materials will be made available to individual researchers upon reasonable request.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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