The Research Department's objective is to develop clinical and non-clinical interventions for the prevention and treatment of STIs and HIV, and to deliver them to the communities that most need them.

To achieve this, the research team focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of new or innovative strategies, (be they new treatments or new approaches using existing treatments), to prevent the acquisition, transmission or progression of HIV and other STIs.

The Department has a wide range of research projects that it is actively involved in. The projects are clinical and non-clinical, in keeping with its objectives. They are listed under each of our themes below.

Ongoing Projects:

AfrEVacc: Acceptability and feasibility of recruiting men into a future Phase III HIV Vaccine Trial; Experiences of surrogate vaccination use
The overall purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility and acceptability of recruiting HIV seronegative men into a future phase III HIV vaccine trial.

ARV-COC: Interactions between Antiretrovirals and Combined Oral Contraceptives
This study aims at comparing ovulation rates under two different regimens: oral contraception administered concurrently with nevirapine-containing antiretroviral therapy, and oral contraception alone.

Prospective study of pharmacokinetics, clinical and virologic response to acyclovir episodic therapy for genital herpes ulcers in HIV negative African women
The aim of this study is two-fold: to determine whether there is a difference in African women compared to existing AUC data for women and men in North America and Europe; and to determine the clinical and virologic responses of genital lesions treated episodically with acylovir, among HIV-negative HSV-2 seropositive Aftrican women.

CANVAS: Cancer Vaccine Study; studying the feasibility and acceptability of an HPV vaccine in Gauteng and Limpopo
The primary objective of this study is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of introducing adolescent HPV vaccinations in South Africa for the prevention of cervical cancer.

Prevention for Positives: A comprehensive approach to HIV Care
This project focuses on risk behaviour among HIV infected individuals and potential interventions.

CHAVI 001: A multi centre acute HIV-1 infection prospective observational cohort study
This projects aims to collect biological specimens to study the HIV-1 virus, the host response, and the genetic factors that determine HIV transmission and viral set point.

CHAVI 011: Formative research to enhance recruitment, retention, prevention counselling, and partner notification strategies for CHAVI 001
To investigate acceptability of current strategies and develop additional strategies to enhance –
recruitment; notification and recruitment; retention and partner notfication, once enrolled in CHAVI 001; community understanding of acute HIV infection and on-going support of CHAVI 001.

Acute HIV infection (AHI) identification

SPARTAC: A trial of therapeutic intervention at primary HIV-1 infection

Girls and Education: Effects of cash transfer and community mobilisation in young South African women

Improving communication about uncertainty of clinical trial outcomes: using the collaborative production of song to facilitate dialogue between communities and clinical staff about the risks and benefits of research in Johannesburg, South Africa

VOICE C: Household and Community Level Factors Associated with Study Product Adherence in VOICE: A Substudy of MTN 003

MTN-VOICE: Microbicide Trial Network
And all the 5 ancillary studies (Thesla)


Completed projects:

A safety and feasibility study of the diaphragm used with Acidform gel or KY Jelly
The aim of this study was to examine the safety and acceptability of a fitted latex diaphragm when used with ACIDFORM or a placebo gel. 

CONNECT: A culturally appropriate intervention for young couples In South Africa

Contraceptive research planning survey
The purpose of this pilot study is to estimate the feasibility of enrolling women into a future randomized controlled trial to determine whether injectable contraception increases the risk of STI acquisition at the Johannesburg and Durban RHRU sites. 

DfID Research Programme Consortium (RPC): Consortium for Research and Capacity Building in Reproductive and Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS in developing countries


Formative research to investigate strategies to enhance treatment adherence in a planned trial of anti-herpetic suppressive therapy to prevent HIV acquisition or transmission in a South African population
The aim of this study was to determine hypothetical as well as actual factors which might influence treatment adherence in a population in inner city Johannesburg.

The effect of anti-herpetic suppressive therapy on HIV shedding in South African women who are seropositive for HIV and HSV2: A randomised controlled trial
This study is a randomised placebo controlled trial involving 300 HSV2 seropositive HIV seropositive women who do not require Highly Active Antiretroviral therapy in South Africa. 

HPTN 039: A Phase III randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of acyclovir for the reduction of HIV acquisition among high risk HSV-2+ HIV-
This study is a protocol of the HIV Prevention Trials Network and is a multi-centre randomised placebo controlled trial involving 3,600 HIV seronegative HSV2 seropositive participants in the USA, Latin America and Africa.

IPM 003: Phase I/II double-blind, randomised study of the safety, tolerability and systemic absorption of TMC120 vaginal microbicide gel (TMC120 Gel-002) and matching placebo in healthy HIV negative women
With the rapidly growing number of HIV infections among women and the absence of an effective vaccine, women-initiated methods of HIV prevention are of increasing importance. Topical microbicides are self administered prophylactic agents that can be applied to the vagina to impede transmission of HIV and/or other sexually transmitted pathogens.

IPM 011: A safety & acceptability study of a vaginal ring microbicide delivery method for the prevention of HIV infection in women
While safety and efficacy are critical factors in the development of vaginal microbicides, in order for these products to have an impact on HIV transmission rates, they must also employ delivery methods that are acceptable to potential users. 

MDP 301: An international multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 0.5% and 2% PRO 2000/5 gels for the prevention of vaginally acquired HIV infection<

MDP 301 HPV Sub-study: Sub-study to an international multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 0.5% and 2% PRO 2000/5 gels for the prevention of vaginally acquired HPV infection

MDP 301 Social Science: a Sub–study of MDP301; An international multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 0.5% and 2% PRO 2000/5 gels for the prevention of vaginally acquired HIV infection

Mpilonhle-Mpilonde/Focus on men: A programme to improve male involvement in sexual & reproductive health

Partners in Prevention/Tshireletso Ya Balekane: A Phase III Randomised Placebo-Controlled Trial of HSV-2 suppression to prevent HIV Transmission among HIV-Discordant Couples
The trial aims to measure the efficacy of daily acyclovir suppressive therapy in preventing HIV transmission among heterosexual HIV discordant couples in which the HIV infected partner also has HSV-2 infection.