Advancing Prevention and Treatment of Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections in HIV-Affected Populations

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Topic Description

Post Date: September 11, 2025

Expiration Date: September 11, 2026

Purpose

The purpose of this initiative is to solicit research on bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in adolescent and maternal populations affected by HIV. Topics may include advancement of research on diagnostic modalities and their clinical implementation, effectiveness, and safety of new microbicidal agents, as well as dissemination and implementation research on evidence-based STI prevention and treatment strategies of youth and maternal HIV-affected populations.

Background

Despite medical developments, epidemiologic data from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention show that rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia have markedly increased over the past 10 years among adolescents living with, or greater likelihood of HIV. Similarly, a disproportionate increase in syphilis rates among adolescent girls and young women of reproductive age has led to pointed increases in congenital syphilis cases nationwide.

As bacterial STI incidence is on the rise in the U.S., affecting adolescents with HIV and greater likelihood of HIV at alarming rates, STI research output on these populations has not been commensurate. While STI pathophysiology, diagnostics and therapeutics have been studied in adults, research on clinical management and dissemination and implementation focusing on maternal and adolescent populations affected by HIV is lacking.

A concerted effort is needed to address basic science, clinical, and dissemination and implementation (D&I) knowledge gaps in research on HIV and bacterial STIs for HIV-affected adolescent and maternal populations. NIH seeks to advance research on bacterial STI epidemiology, research on bacterial STI pathophysiology in pregnancy and/or adolescence in those affected by HIV, and research on innovations in STI clinical management. NIH furthermore seeks to advance implementation science research topics in this area, including research on innovative models of service delivery and scaling promising programs of public health implementation, research on the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of these models, as well as research on models of increasing clinical training and infrastructure to support HIV and STI prevention.

Central Scientific Contact:
Franklin Yates, MD
[email protected]

Participating ICOs

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

NICHD supports basic and applied research to better understand and address STIs in adolescent and maternal populations affected by HIV.  Exemplary topics could include, but are not limited to:

  • Studies designed to improve our understanding of HIV and bacterial STI epidemiologic trends, relationships, and causalities among these high-burden populations.
  • Studies designed to advance research on innovative diagnostic modalities and their clinical implementation.
  • Studies that advance knowledge on clinical implementation of novel microbicidal agents for bacterial STIs and their use in pregnancy and/or in adolescent populations.
  • Research to improve access and use of HIV and bacterial STI post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
  • Research to advance training programs for clinical personnel to support bacterial STI and HIV prevention and care and address practice information gaps.
  • Research in cost-effectiveness and implementation models for bacterial STI and HIV services.
ICO Scientific Contact:
Franklin Yates, MD
[email protected]

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. NIAID has a particular interest in the following related research: 

  • evaluating co-delivery of STI antimicrobials and antiretrovirals (e.g., for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), including as part of multi-purpose prevention technologies) that prioritizes the use of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in the research as able;
  • development of alternative antibiotics that could be safely used in the treatment of pregnant women, especially for syphilis; and
  • evaluating the immune response after the initial infection with a bacterial STI (based on age groups, etc.) to advance vaccine and immunotherapeutic development.
ICO Scientific Contact:
Tom Hiltke, Ph.D.
[email protected]

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

NINR leverages a person-centered holistic nursing perspective to support rigorous solution-oriented research conducted by scientists from any discipline. 

Topics of interest include:

  • Projects that intervene on the conditions in which people live to address differences in prevention or treatment of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in adolescent populations with HIV
  • Projects that use community-engaged, multi-level or multi-sectoral approaches to prevent bacterial STI disease in maternal populations
  • Projects that develop or test organizational and systems solutions to optimize outcomes of bacterial STI prevention and care in adolescent or maternal populations
ICO Scientific Contact:
Leigh Willis
[email protected]

Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH)

The NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) areas of interest include:

  • Projects to advance the health of women across the life course, particularly during significant social and biological transitions, focus on enhancing the understanding, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of bacterial STIs in populations affected by HIV, with a special emphasis on adolescent and maternal health.
  • Projects that advance the translation of research advancements and evidence in women’s health into practical benefits for patients and providers.
  • Projects to develop and advance training programs for clinical personnel in the prevention and care of bacterial STIs and HIV.

This office does not award grants. Applications must be relevant to the objectives of at least one of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers listed in this topic. 

ICO Scientific Contact:
Elena Gorodetsky, M.D., Ph.D.
[email protected]

Office of Disease Prevention (ODP)
IC may give special consideration to support meritorious applications in this topic area.
ICO Scientific Contact:
Elizabeth L. Neilson, PhD, MPH, MSN
[email protected]

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