# In Our Own Words: Peer-to-Peer Messaging to Increase Uptake of HIV Prevention Strategies among Adolescents in Kenya

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2020 · $199,795

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Adolescents are at particularly high risk for HIV infection worldwide. In Kenya, there were an estimated 18,000
new infections among adolescents aged 15-19 years in 2015. The 2014 Kenya Demographic Health Survey
revealed low levels of HIV knowledge and high levels of risk behavior among adolescent girls aged 15-19
years. These recent data highlight the importance of developing interventions that resonate with adolescents in
order to reduce the number of new HIV infections in this priority population. When adolescents are given
agency to create a narrative that reflects what is salient to them, the creative process may increase their
knowledge and the resulting prevention messages are more likely to resonate with their peers. The proposed
study will leverage the cultural importance of role play and live theater in Kenya to inform the development of
public service announcement (PSA) creation workshops for adolescent girls in Kisumu County to increase HIV
knowledge and decrease risk behaviors among their peers. The specific aims are: 1) elicit adolescents'
narratives regarding sexual health and HIV prevention, as voiced to peers; 2) characterize determinants
shaping adolescents' mental and behavioral HIV prevention models; and 3) assess the feasibility and
acceptability of HIV prevention PSA creation workshops. Our mixed-methods study integrates well with existing
HIV prevention programs in Kenya and will synergize with the planned roll-out of PrEP in this region.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10073178
- **Project number:** 3R01HD094683-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** HONG-HA M TRUONG
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $199,795
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2017-09-12 → 2021-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10073178

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10073178, In Our Own Words: Peer-to-Peer Messaging to Increase Uptake of HIV Prevention Strategies among Adolescents in Kenya (3R01HD094683-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10073178. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*