HIV Prevention and Care Engagement in Nepal

Sweekar - Multi-level Intersectional Stigma Reduction Intervention to Increase HIV Testing and Care Engagement in Nepal

This intervention focuses on increasing HIV testing, HIV medication adherence and reducing intersectional stigma. Our Sweekar intervention will implement 5 months of group-based activities to address the social stigma and HIV prevention and care needs.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: HIV
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Sweekar intervention

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 31
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Nepal
  • Kathmandu, Nepal
    • BDS

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. aged 18 years old or older
2. identify as transgender, hijra, Meti, third gender or anything other than a gender typically associated with a male assigned sex at birth
3. live in the Terai highway district Madesh Province
4. Maithili- or Nepali-speaking
5. Willing to be part of the study for 6 months
6. Willing to travel, if needed, to participate in group sessions

For those who test HIV negative:

1. Willing to self-test
2. Have or willing to have a mobile phone
3. Not HIV tested within the last 3 months

For those who test HIV positive:

(a) screen positive for HIV treatment non-adherence by self-report

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Cannot or will not consent to the research,
2. Female sex assigned at birth,
3. Self-identify as a man
4. Do not speak Maithli or Nepali
5. Age under 18 -

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group-based intervention; Group-based activities and HIV self-testing to address social stigma and HIV prevention and care needs	Behavioral: Sweekar intervention; The HIV prevention components focus on HIV education and use of HIV self-testing kits to increase frequency of HIV testing. The HIV care component is information and linkage to HIV treatment information and adherence support.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
HIV testing Self-testing kits	Number of HIV self tests kits used at home or at a hospital or clinic	At baseline and at 3 months
HIV testing frequency	HIV testing; Number of times received HIV testing using clinic or resources that is not HIV self-testing kits	Baseline, 3 months and 6 months
HIV treatment engagement	Self-reported Wilson's Medication Scale to assess adherence patterns.	At baseline, 3 months and 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Public Health Foundation Enterprises, Inc.
• Collaborators: Fogarty International Center of the National Institute of Health

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 27, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 31, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): May 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 27, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 7, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 14, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 14, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 7, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 4632024; R01TW012397 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: Upon request, data may be made available

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No