HIV and Women
Despite tremendous advances in HIV research over the last 40 years, women—particularly women of color and young 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 and 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 and girls receive evidence-based care, prevention, and treatment tailored to their unique needs, circumstances, and goals. 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 investigating sex as a biological variable 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.
Updates
May 2024: OAR Director’s Blog: HIV and Women: Centering Women’s Health Across HIV Research
OAR Acting Director Diana Finzi, Ph.D., discusses NIH activities aimed at advancing research on HIV and women, including a recent notice of information (NOI) and notice of special interest (NOSI) that encourage grant applications that center the health needs of women and girls within HIV research and highlight related opportunities.
March 21-22, 2024: NIH HIV & Women Scientific Workshop: Centering the Health of Women in HIV Research
The NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR) and Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) recently hosted this two-day virtual workshop to review the state of the science on HIV and women to inform the future research agenda.
February 27, 2024: The Lancet HIV Highlights HIV and Women Signature Program
A position paper, published February 26 in The Lancet HIV, outlines a framework for an intersectional and data-driven approach to research on HIV and women, the cornerstone of the HIV and Women Signature Program.
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. Within this resource, 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, including 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.
NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Research on the Health of Women
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.
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 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 women with HIV, and breastfeeding for women 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.
HIV.gov
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.
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.
New research findings show long-acting injectable regimen prevents HIV acquisition in women
OAR Director’s Blog
The HPTN 084 study demonstrated that the long-acting injectable cabotegravir is effective in preventing HIV acquisition among women. The promising results provide a new pathway for women to reduce their risk of HIV.
Videos
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.
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 February 24, 2025