Jalingo

Researchers are evaluating two combination interventions designed to address HIV among youth aged 15 to 24 in Nigeria. These interventions include mHealth and Peer Navigation components, focusing on identifying youth living with HIV, linking them to care, promoting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake among those testing negative, and supporting adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for newly diagnosed individuals. The study involves two parallel 48-week trials conducted in six Nigerian states, aiming to assess both the effectiveness and implementation success of these approaches. The first intervention, HIV Case Finding, targets young men, especially young men who have sex with men (YMSM), to encourage HIV testing and linkage to care if positive, and PrEP initiation if negative. This is a single-arm trial enrolling 6000 participants. The second, HIV Treatment Intervention, is a randomized controlled trial enrolling 600 youth newly diagnosed with HIV who are starting ART for the first time. Interventions include behavioral supports such as peer navigation, motivational interviewing, social media outreach, and SMS reminders alongside standard care. Participants will be involved for 48 weeks, during which they will receive support to promote HIV testing, linkage to care, PrEP uptake, and ART adherence. Researchers will monitor viral suppression and adherence to ART in the treatment group and assess identification of HIV-positive youth and linkage to care in the case finding group. The study will also evaluate the success of intervention implementation in the target populations. Regular follow-up and support through peer navigators and digital messaging are part of the participant experience throughout the study period.