# A multicomponent intervention to address gender-based violence in HIV prevention for women

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2021 · $234,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Transgender (`trans') women of color experience violence in a variety of contexts, including from partners,
strangers, law enforcement, healthcare providers, and in public accommodations. Violence is consistently
linked with HIV transmission risk and avoiding HIV prevention services via pathways including chronic stress,
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and substance use. These epidemics are concurrent and
mutually reinforcing, constituting a “syndemic” or synergistic interaction that contributes to documented
inequities in HIV Prevention Continuum outcomes. In Detroit, Michigan, trans women of color are one of the
`most-at-risk' groups for HIV, with significant disparities in sustained engagement in HIV prevention services. In
this R21 exploratory/developmental research application, we propose to adapt, integrate, and pilot test a
culturally-relevant evidence-based trauma-informed violence prevention intervention to improve HIV Prevention
Continuum outcomes. Guided by the ADAPT-ITT model, our first aim seeks to conduct a systematic adaptation
of three interventions and integrate these components into a trauma-informed combination prevention
intervention for TWOC, with a focus on HIV Prevention Continuum outcomes by conducting interviews with
trans women of color and key stakeholders to inform the adaptation. Our community advisory board consisting
of trans women of color will review all adapted materials. The second aim seeks to examine the feasibility and
acceptability of the trauma-informed combination prevention intervention in a one-arm pilot with follow-ups
immediate and 3-month post-intervention. The primary outcome is improvements in HIV Prevention Continuum
outcomes and the secondary outcomes are mental health and substance use. The project also seeks to gather
qualitative data from one-arm pilot participants to identify strategies to overcome barriers to implementing
rigorous randomized controlled trial research designs with trans women of color. Study findings will provide the
necessary groundwork for a community-engaged efficacy trial in a subsequent, large-scale clinical trial.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10131266
- **Project number:** 5R21MH123218-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Kristi E Gamarel
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $234,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-03-20 → 2024-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10131266

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10131266, A multicomponent intervention to address gender-based violence in HIV prevention for women (5R21MH123218-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10131266. Licensed CC0.

---

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