# Improving Prevention Systems to Reduce Disparities for High Priority Populations.

> **NIH NIH R01** · HUNTER COLLEGE · 2022 · $600,878

## Abstract

7. PROJECT SUMMARY
This project collaborates with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) to
develop and test a field-based comprehensive sexual health intervention for HIV-exposed contacts notified by
its Partner Services (i.e., HIV contact tracing) program. Individuals reached by PS programs are highest priority
for linkage to HIV prevention/care services: 10-20% are newly diagnosed with HIV as a result of PS notification
and the remainder are eligible and high priority for PrEP. Because they seek out highest-risk individuals in the
field, PS programs have the potential to significantly reduce existing disparities in PrEP uptake and timely HIV
care initiation by reaching populations that are currently under-engaged by traditional PrEP or HIV testing
programs. The new Partner Services-Sexual Health (PS-SH) intervention offers a comprehensive sexual
health package that includes HIV testing, STI testing, ARV/PrEP education and immediate medication start to
all individuals receiving contact notification (i.e., being notified of a recent exposure to HIV). NYCDOHMH is
collaborating on this research project to enable a scientifically rigorous test of the intervention’s efficacy and
produce the highest quality data on implementation dynamics, cost-effectiveness, and affordability to inform
dissemination and adaptation of the intervention, should it prove effective. The specific aims are to: (1) Pilot
and refine a field-based comprehensive sexual health intervention delivered through the NYC DOHMH Partner
Services Program. Under this aim, we will pilot the intervention in five highest prevalence NYC neighborhoods
for 6-months (n = ~60), examine feasibility and acceptability, and refine the intervention process and protocols
for the trial to test effectiveness at scale. (2) Examine the effectiveness of the Partner Services-Sexual Health
(PS-SH) intervention in improving rates of HIV testing, linkage to HIV prevention/care, and PrEP uptake among
highest risk contacts recently exposed to HIV. Under this aim, we will conduct a cross-sectional stepped wedge
cluster randomized trial in which 12 clusters of NYC neighborhoods are exposed to the intervention
sequentially, with three clusters moving from control to intervention every 6 months (n = 1150). Primary
outcomes are HIV testing, timely PrEP/ARV uptake, and linkage to PrEP/HIV care. Secondary outcomes are
STD testing and receipt of STD treatment (if indicated). (3) Conduct preliminary analyses of economic
outcomes, including cost-allocation and affordability to allow other jurisdictions to make decisions about
implementation. These analyses will include per-outcome cost-estimates, and will develop a blueprint for
economic evaluation of the intervention including incremental cost-effectiveness and budget impact analyses
for application locally and nationally. The proposed project is poised to have a significant and sustained impact
on the field by: a) addressing a critical gap...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10336401
- **Project number:** 5R01MH115835-05
- **Recipient organization:** HUNTER COLLEGE
- **Principal Investigator:** Sarit A Golub
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $600,878
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-05-01 → 2025-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10336401

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10336401, Improving Prevention Systems to Reduce Disparities for High Priority Populations. (5R01MH115835-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10336401. Licensed CC0.

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