# Identifying and Engaging Urban HIV infected and uninfected YBMSM in care

> **NIH NIH R01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $567,824

## Abstract

Project Summary
The U.S. National HIV/AIDS Strategy 2020 calls for increasing access to care and improving outcomes of
people living with HIV and targeting biomedical prevention efforts (including access to pre-exposure
prophylaxis [PrEP]) where HIV is most heavily concentrated. Baltimore, MD; Washington, DC; and
Philadelphia, PA (BWP) are disproportionately burdened by high rates of new cases of HIV infection, with
disproportionate rates in young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) aged 15 to 24. High incidence
underscores the need for increased identification, linkage and initiation in HIV and preventive care for
YBMSM. Grants focused on high rates directly address NIH research priorities to reduce health disparities in
the incidence of HI, in ART outcomes or in high HIV prevalent or high-risk areas. This innovative proposal
seeks to test, treat and retain YBMSM living in BWP along the prevention and treatment continuums using
the following aims: Aim 1. Identify and recruit young (ages 15-24) black men who have sex with men
(YBMSM) in 3 urban cities who are (1) HIV-infected, not virally suppressed; and (2) high-risk HIV uninfected
YBMSM, including gender variant and questioning men, using respondent driven sampling with targeted seed
identification; Aim 2. Compare the efficacy of two study arms (mobile-enhanced engagement intervention
(MEI) vs. standard of care (SOC)) to achieve sustained retention (measured by ≥ 4 follow up visits per 18
months) and engagement in HIV care (measured by durable viral suppression (HIV VL < 200 copies/ml) and
substance treatment among 300 HIV infected YBMSM who are not virally suppressed and recruited from RDS;
and Aim 3. Modify and implement mobile-enhanced intervention for 300 high-risk HIV uninfected YBMSM,
recruited from RDS to promote linkage, retention and engagement of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and
substance treatment uptake over 12 months, comparing younger (15-19) and older (20-24) participants. The
mobile-enhanced engagement intervention is driven by the expressed and self-determined needs of each HIV
infected and uninfected participant and includes care navigation, engagement, treatment and adherence, with
a supplemental SBIRT+ intervention, to support YBMSM who face barriers accessing substance use treatment.
By building upon existing case management services and flexibility to be adapted across ages and maturity
and for prevention services, this intervention has the ability to transform networks, HIV and prevention care
in YBMSM in cities with very high primary and secondary HIV transmission.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9957084
- **Project number:** 5R01DA043089-05
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** DAVID D. CELENTANO
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $567,824
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9957084

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9957084, Identifying and Engaging Urban HIV infected and uninfected YBMSM in care (5R01DA043089-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9957084. Licensed CC0.

---

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