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HIV and Women

Red ribbon with superimposed female profile.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.

OAR Director’s Blog: Centering Women’s Health Across HIV Research  
It is an exciting time for the NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR) as momentum increases to prioritize HIV-related research focused on women, girls, and gender-diverse people. In the latest OAR Director’s Blog, OAR Acting Director Diana Finzi, Ph.D., discusses NIH activities aimed at advancing this critical work, including a recent notice of information (NOI) and notice of special interest (NOSI) that encourage grant applications that center the health needs of women within HIV research and highlight related opportunities. Read the blog post to learn more.

Updates

March 21-22, 2024: The NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR) and Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) recently hosted 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. Access NIH VideoCast recordings and additional information on the event webpage.

February 27, 2024: The Lancet HIV Highlights HIV and Women Signature Program
A position paper, published February 26 in The Lancet HIVoutlines 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.

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.
 

This page last reviewed on May 31, 2024