STAR
The Study of Treatment And Reproductive outcomes in women (STAR) cohort seeks to answer questions related to the effects of HIV infection and HIV-related medical conditions on women of reproductive age. It builds on the work of the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS), which was developed in 1993 and is one of the largest federally funded longitudinal cohort studies comprising of almost 4,000 women living with HIV (WLWH) or at-risk for HIV infection. Recently, WIHS transitioned to combine with the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS), which is a cohort of gay and bisexual men, to form the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS). Utilizing the backbone of the MWCCS, STAR was developed to obtain information on reproductive age WLWH and those at risk for HIV infection, focusing on the Southern region of the US.
STAR study sites will recruit and retain 2,000 reproductive age women who are HIV-positive and HIV-negative.
- Atlanta, GA
- Birmingham, AL/Jackson, MS
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Miami, FL
- Washington, DC
STAR clinical research visits will rigorously collect socio-behavioral, clinical, and outcome data as well as biospecimens (i.e. serum, plasma, cells, urine, cervical, hair and oral) to promote multidisciplinary HIV/AIDS research. The cohort’s research efforts seek to respond to the distinctive health needs of reproductive age WLWH. The STAR cohort has the potential to ultimately improve the health of young WLWH, optimize the gains of HIV treatments, and contribute to ending of the HIV epidemic in the United States.