# Ending transmission of HIV, HCV, and STDs and overdose in rural communities of people who inject drugs (ETHIC)

> **NIH NIH UH3** · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · 2022 · $169,755

## Abstract

ABSTRACT – Modified for administrative supplement, underlined
Outbreaks of HIV and HCV in rural areas of the Midwest have been associated with syringe-sharing among
partners injecting nonmedical prescription opioids. Illinois ranks as the third highest state in percentage
increase in death rates involving synthetic opiates between 2014-2015. The southernmost 16 counties of
Illinois comprise the Illinois Delta Region (IDR) and share many of the characteristics of rural areas that have
experienced recent HIV epidemics. A deeper understanding of community characteristics, including transitions
from oral to injection opioid use, circumstances for high-risk injection practices, impact of race and the effects
of structural racism, as well as heterosexism and cisgenderism including accessibility to existing and potential
health-related resources will be essential to developing models of disease prevention and treatment.
Partnering with state and local public health other state agencies, community-based programs, local coalitions
and healthcare systems, we will take a mixed analytical approach using, predictive modeling, GIS analysis,
qualitative and survey analysis, network methods, and infectious disease epidemiology to understand
geospatial and sociocultural factors impacting health outcomes in people who inject drugs in the IDR.
In this supplement we will develop meaningful partnerships with Black and sexual and/or gender minority
(SGM) identifying communities in the study area to ensure shared goals, priorities, and processes within the
context of drug use and harm reduction research and increase recruitment of Black and SGM identifying
individuals into the ETHIC parent study. We will refine current instruments to ensure the optimal exploration
and contextualization of potential social, cultural, and medical/structural drug use introduction and continuation
pathways, drug types, routes of administration, sharing behaviors, drug use networks, and knowledge and
awareness, acceptability, and utilization of harm reduction and addiction treatment with particular focus on
salient factors for Black and SGM identifying communities. These data will inform evidence-based, culturally
competent and inclusive interventions to strengthen access to disease screening and linkage to care and
treatment, expansion of needle exchange and naloxone overdose programs, screening and referral to
substance use treatment, and telehealth capacity building for the provision of PrEP, HCV management, and
medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorder.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10643614
- **Project number:** 3UH3DA044829-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Wiley Jenkins
- **Activity code:** UH3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $169,755
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2017-08-15 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10643614

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10643614, Ending transmission of HIV, HCV, and STDs and overdose in rural communities of people who inject drugs (ETHIC) (3UH3DA044829-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10643614. Licensed CC0.

---

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