AI-Facilitated Partner Communication for PrEP

The AI-Facilitated Partner Communication for PrEP study aims to enhance HIV prevention among women by empowering them with skills to discuss pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with male sexual partners. Existing PrEP interventions rarely address the complex barriers to partner communication that influence PrEP uptake. This R34 proposal aims to develop and pilot a Virtual Practice Environment (VPE) using large language models (LLMs) to simulate realistic conversations that allow women to practice PrEP communication strategies in a supportive, risk-free setting. This study offers an innovative, scalable approach to strengthening PrEP implementation efforts by addressing partner-level barriers. Project Number: 1R34MH142048-01 | Fiscal Year: 2026 | NIH Institute/Center: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) | Principal Investigator: Whitney Irie | Institution: BOSTON COLLEGE, CHESTNUT HILL, MA | Award Amount: $736,887 | Activity Code: R34 | Study Section: HIV/AIDS Intra- and Inter-personal Determinants and Behavioral Interventions Study Section[HIBI] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11243013