Women SHINE: Addressing Syndemics and HIV Among Women Through Tech-Based Peer Engagement
Who can join
Ages 18 and older · Women
Full eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Cisgender female * Diagnosis of HIV by a physician, healthcare provider, or community health worker * Aged 18 years or older * Speaking and reading English or Spanish * Adulthood experiences of interpersonal violence * Currently prescribed ART * Self-report of \<90% past-month ART adherence * Not currently participating in another adherence intervention * Access to an internet browser Exclusion Criteria: * Unwillingness to participate in the intervention * Transgender female * No diagnosis of HIV by a physician, healthcare provider, or community health worker * Aged less than 18 years * Not speaking and reading English or Spanish * Not currently prescribed ART * Self-report of \>= 90% past-month ART adherence * Currently participating in another adherence intervention * No access to an internet browser * Cognitive impairment limiting the ability to provide informed consent * Experiencing only childhood experiences of interpersonal violence * Inability to safely participate in the study based on secondary screener
About the study
A two-arm RCT will be conducted to test the efficacy of Women SHINE, a web-based trauma-informed peer navigation-social support intervention (Figure 2). A total of 360 women living with HIV/AIDS (WLHA) with a history of adulthood interpersonal violence who have been prescribed ART but are non-adherent (\< 90% ART adherent in the last 4 weeks) will be enrolled in the study. WLHA will be randomized (1:1) into one of the following conditions: 1) Women SHINE intervention arm (n=180) or 2) Control arm (n=180). The Women SHINE intervention arm will receive a four-month intervention including peer navigator (PN) one-on-one sessions, phone/text-based check-ins, 7 psychoeducation weekly support group sessions (120 mins.) co-facilitated by a licensed therapist and PN, and access to a static website with resources for HIV care, interpersonal violence, trauma, mental health, and substance use. The control arm will receive one group session (60 mins.) on self-care and well-being and access to the aforementioned website with resources. Women will complete a video-based survey and mailed hair sample self-collection at baseline, 4-, 8-, and 12-months post-randomization, to evaluate improvements in ART adherence (Aim 1), emotion regulation, and PTSD symptoms (Aim 2). Investigators will examine the mediating effect of individual (retention in HIV care, coping self-efficacy, social support, ancillary support services use) and socio-structural (stigma, medical mistrust) mechanisms of change on the efficacy of Women SHINE (Aim 3).
What is being tested
- Women SHINE (behavioral)
- Control (behavioral)
Sponsor: University of California, San Diego · Participants: 360 · Started: Nov 15, 2022
Contact the study team
- Cassandra Cyr, MPH · Phone: (858) 534-7979
- Jamila K Stockman, PhD, MPH · Phone: (858) 822-4652
Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT05509959
Locations in the U.S.
| California | The Regents of the Univ. of Calif., U.C. San Diego, La Jolla |
Conditions
From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.