Georgia Consortium to Eliminate Cervical Cancer in Women Living with HIV (GaCECC-WLWH)

Women living with HIV (WLWH) have a substantially increased risk for cervical cancer compared to women without HIV infection. Georgia has one of the largest populations of people living with HIV in the U.S., with a significantly higher prevalence than the national average. Concurrently, Georgia’s rates of cervical cancer exceed national levels. Georgia is therefore a critical location for conducting pragmatic clinical trials aimed at improving cervical cancer screening and treatment for WLWH. The Georgia Consortium to Eliminate Cervical Cancer in Women Living with HIV (GaCECC) brings together established, well-funded programs across Georgia that serve WLWH and are well positioned to lead the ‘CASCADE’ Network clinical trials. Consortium members include Emory University’s HIV research and clinical networks, urban and rural Ryan White-funded clinics, Morehouse School of Medicine’s community networks, the Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence at Grady Health System, and other key HIV and women’s health organizations in the state. The GaCECC clinical sites collectively served over 9,000 WLWH and performed more than 5,000 cervical cancer screenings between 2020 and 2021 in both urban and rural areas. The GaCECC’s client navigation team will support participant access to and completion of screening and treatment. The recruitment and retention team will coordinate care from community clinics to colposcopy at the central treatment site. Grady Memorial Hospital’s Mobile Health Center Vehicle will deliver colposcopy services to women who cannot travel. Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine, and AAPHC-affiliated gynecologists will provide protocol-based treatment at various clinical sites. The consortium’s experienced investigators and research staff will ensure high-quality implementation of clinical trial protocols and strong participant retention. The GaCECC will leverage the collective strengths of its partners to advance cervical cancer prevention for WLWH. In summary, the GaCECC will (Aim 1) apply its leadership in HIV care and cervical cancer prevention, (Aim 2) conduct research through the ‘CASCADE’ Network clinical trial, and (Aim 3) implement pragmatic clinical trials in cervical cancer prevention across all scientific focus areas, utilizing its community-based partnerships to support enrollment and retention of WLWH.