HIV and Women
Despite tremendous advances in HIV research over the last 40 years, women—particularly women of color, young women, and transgender women—remain disproportionately affected by HIV.1,2 Further research is critical to understanding optimal ways to prevent, treat, and cure HIV and associated comorbidities across women’s lifespans. Prioritizing the inclusion of diverse populations of women in prevention, treatment, and cure-related research efforts is an essential component of ending the HIV epidemic.
HIV and Women Signature Program
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of AIDS Research (OAR) and Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) launched the joint HIV and Women Signature Program in February 2023. The cornerstone of this new program is an intersectional, equity-informed, data-driven approach to research on HIV and women.
The Signature Program advances the NIH vision for women's health, a world in which all women, girls, and gender-diverse people receive evidence-based care, prevention, and treatment tailored to their unique needs, circumstances, and goals. The program also supports women in science careers to meet their full professional potential. As part of the program, OAR and ORWH have convened an HIV and Women Working Group with representation from across NIH, which is charged with identifying gaps and priorities at the intersection of HIV and women’s health.
This webpage provides information on NIH research priorities related to HIV and women’s health research and the importance of sex and gender in research. In addition, this page provides links to clinical resources, resources on HIV and women at various NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs), funding information, and other resources.
The Lancet HIV Highlights HIV and Women Signature Program
A new position paper, published February 26 in The Lancet HIV, outlines a framework for an intersectional, equity-informed, data-driven approach to research on HIV and women, the cornerstone of the HIV and Women Signature Program. Read more.
As part of the HIV and Women Signature Program, the NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR) and Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) are hosting a two-day virtual workshop, NIH HIV & Women Scientific Workshop: Centering the Health of Women in HIV Research, to review the state of the science on HIV and women to inform the future research agenda. The workshop will be broadcast live on NIH VideoCast.
Upcoming Events
NIH HIV & Women Scientific Workshop: Centering the Health of Women in HIV Research
March 21-22, 2024
Format: Virtual
This two-day workshop, organized by OAR and ORWH, will review the state of the science on HIV and women to inform the future research agenda.
14th International Workshop on HIV & Women
April 12-13, 2024
Format: In person (Washington, DC) and virtual
This workshop, which is sponsored in part by OAR, will provide an opportunity for partners to discuss issues, gaps, and opportunities to improve the lives of women with HIV.
Updates
December 2023
September 6, 2023: HIV and Women: Current and Future Directions at the NIH, USCHA
ORWH and OAR hosted a workshop, “HIV and Women: Current and Future Directions at the NIH,” at the U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA) in September 2023 to explore ways to identify gaps and priorities at the intersection of HIV and women’s health and gather input from the community. The workshop generated robust discussion about research priorities, challenges, and opportunities related to HIV and women’s health.
September 2023: NIH OAR Data Hub: NIH HIV and Women’s Health Topical Portfolio Analysis
The NIH OAR Data Hub leverages and synthesizes publicly available data about the NIH HIV research portfolio. The NIH HIV and Women’s Health Topical Portfolio Analysis provides a comprehensive review of NIH research at the intersection of HIV and women’s health. The dashboard contains data on NIH awards on HIV and women’s health across different categories of research areas, diseases, and conditions.
NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities and Guidelines for Determining HIV/AIDS Funding
Find information from OAR about NIH HIV/AIDS research priorities and guidelines for allocation of HIV funding for fiscal years 2021–2025.
2019–2023 Trans-NIH Strategic Plan for Women’s Health Research
Find information from ORWH about the NIH vision for women’s health research.
Consideration of Sex as a Biological Variable in NIH-Funded Research
This NIH notice outlines the expectation that sex as a biological variable will be factored into research designs, analyses, and reporting in vertebrate animal and human studies.
- NIH Policy on Sex as a Biological Variable (ORWH)
Read more about the NIH policy on the use of sex as a biological variable. - Sex & Gender (ORWH)
Learn more about sex and gender and why they matter in health research.
Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Participants in Research Involving Human Subjects
Read about the NIH policy that requires the inclusion of women and members of racial and ethnic minority groups in all NIH-funded clinical research.
Women & HIV Symposium: Considerations from Across the Lifespan
Read the Executive Summary of a February 2023 symposium, sponsored by OAR and ORWH, during the 13th International Workshop on HIV and Women. The symposium highlighted key HIV-related issues affecting women across the lifespan and identified priorities related to women, HIV, aging, and multimorbidity to inform a future research agenda.
Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Adults and Adolescents with HIV
This federally approved clinical practice guideline provides guidance on antiretroviral treatment in adults and adolescents, with sections on special populations, including women and transgender people with HIV.
Recommendations for the Use of Antiretroviral Drugs During Pregnancy and Interventions to Reduce Perinatal HIV Transmission in the United States
This federally approved clinical practice guideline provides guidance on antiretroviral treatment during pregnancy and addresses issues such as HIV testing and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) during pregnancy, prenatal and postnatal care for people with HIV, and infant feeding for people with HIV.
ClinicalTrials.gov trials on HIV and AIDS
Find clinical trials on HIV and AIDS around the world that are publicly and privately funded.
HIVinfo HIV Source
This portal provides English- and Spanish-language resources on HIV from within and outside the federal government.
HIVinfo HIV Fact Sheets
These fact sheets provide an overview of HIV, as well as information on HIV prevention, treatment, HIV and pregnancy, side effects of HIV medicines, and other topics related to living with HIV.
Clinicalinfo Drug Database
The Drug Database provides information on HIV-related drugs, including FDA-approved antiretroviral and opportunistic infection drugs, as well as investigational drugs.
White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research
- The new White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, led by the Office of the First Lady and White House Gender Policy Council, aims to improve women’s health in the United States by accelerating research on the unique health needs of women across their lifespans and therefore fundamentally changing how we approach and fund women’s health research. More information is available from ORWH.
HIV.gov
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
This list of notice of funding opportunities (NOFOs) may include HIV receipt dates, which can differ from standard grant application due dates. Please note that some NOFOs allow HIV applications but may have specific requests, such as a requirement that all aims be related to HIV research. Contact the program officer indicated in the individual NOFO to request further details.
Articles
NIH Symposium Launches OAR-ORWH Partnership to Advance Research on HIV and Women Across the Lifespan
OAR Director’s Blog
The HIV and Women Signature Program was publicly launched during a symposium, sponsored by OAR and ORWH, at the 13th International Workshop on HIV & Women that highlighted innovative, multidisciplinary research aimed at addressing the health of women with or affected by HIV.
40 Years of Progress and Persistent Challenges in HIV/AIDS: We Need to Do More for Women
ORWH Director’s Message
Janine A. Clayton, M.D., FARVO
Women, particularly women of color and transgender women, have not reaped the full benefits of HIV prevention, treatment, and cure strategies, but there is encouraging progress for women in HIV research.
NIH OAR Marks 35 Years of Advancing HIV Research
OAR Director’s Blog
The NIH HIV research program has contributed groundbreaking innovations in HIV prevention, treatment, and cure. Among other breakthroughs, NIH clinical research has nearly eliminated perinatal HIV transmission.
Research Is Changing the Face of HIV for Women and Girls
OAR Director’s Blog
Women with or vulnerable to HIV need tailored HIV prevention, treatment, and cure research. NIH policies, resources for investigators, and targeted research funding are helping to ensure women and girls will benefit from HIV research.
Long-Acting Injectable Regimen Prevents HIV Acquisition in Cisgender Women
OAR Director’s Blog
The HPTN 084 study demonstrated that the long-acting injectable cabotegravir is effective in preventing HIV acquisition among cisgender women. The promising results provide a new pathway for women to reduce their risk of HIV.
Videos
Women in HIV/AIDS Research: Commemorating 40 Years of Accomplishments & Advances
ORWH, December 2021
Learn about women’s continued advocacy and contribution to science-based strategies that can end the HIV epidemic.
U3 Webinar: Targeted Strategies to Address Gender Disparities in Care Utilization for HIV
Grace M. Aldrovandi, M.D., UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital
Susan E. Cohn, M.D., M.P.H., Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
ORWH, August 2021
This webinar provides a historical perspective on HIV, highlights pivotal advances that have shaped our understanding of the HIV pandemic, and provides recommendations for enhancing participation of women and minorities in HIV clinical research.
Using Primary Cell Model Systems to Evaluate the Role of Biological Sex in HIV Latency and Cure Strategies
Sex and Gender in Health and Disease Scientific Interest Group Webinar
Alberto Bosque, Ph.D., M.B.A., George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
ORWH, June 2021
This virtual talk discusses the basic mechanisms underlying HIV latency establishment and reversal required to develop successful HIV cure interventions.
Pearls of Wisdom: Women in Science
The ORWH Pearls of Wisdom video series aims to inspire, motivate, and inform women in the beginning or middle stages of their biomedical careers.
More Information
Email WomenandHIV@od.nih.gov with questions and feedback.
Learn more about the Office of Research on Women’s Health and the Office of AIDS Research.
References
1 - UN Women. HIV and AIDS. Accessed April 14, 2023. www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/hiv-and-aids
2 - UNAIDS. Global HIV & AIDS Statistics — Fact Sheet. Accessed April 14, 2023. www.unaids.org/en/resources/fact-sheet
This page last reviewed on April 17, 2024