This Project Grant award from the National Institutes of Health's Fogarty International Center (CFDA 93.989, International Research and Research Training) provides $173,197 to Brown University to develop and pilot test a stigma-reduction, mobile health (mHealth) intervention for engaging Chinese transgender women in HIV prevention, mental health, and sexual health services.
The key products and services to be delivered under this grant include: 1) Conducting formative interviews with Chinese transgender women and stakeholders to identify stigma-related factors impacting mental health, sexual risk, and HIV testing, as well as preferences for intervention content and delivery; 2) Developing the "True Self" mHealth program based on this input, and conducting a small open pilot (n=10) to finalize the intervention protocol; and 3) Evaluating the feasibility, acceptability, safety, and preliminary effects of the True Self program through a randomized controlled trial (n=60) with Chinese transgender women. The project aims to provide essential data to guide a future fully-powered clinical trial and enhance capacity for transgender health research in China.