Can 'Queen Mothers' bring HIV testing to the doorstep?
NCT ID NCT07829133
First seen Sep 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026
Summary
Researchers are testing whether sex work managers, called queen mothers, can hand out and collect HIV self-tests and self-collected STI test kits at places where female sex workers meet and work in Lusaka. The study compares this peer-supported approach with the current standard of care. About 232 female sex workers and some queen mothers complete questionnaires and testing at the start and again about three months later. The goal is to see if the approach increases HIV and STI diagnosis and links people to treatment or prevention services.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- A venue-based, peer-supported strategy where sex work managers distribute and collect HIV self-tests and self-collected STI test kits
- What this could lead to
- If the strategy works, it could give health programs a low-cost way to reach female sex workers with HIV and STI testing and link those who test positive to treatment.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study in one city, so results may not hold in other settings. Self-testing can miss infections or lead to unclear results, and some participants may not complete confirmatory testing or seek care.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 232 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
FSW Inclusion Criteria: * Born biologically female * Identifies as a woman * Aged 18 years or older * Exchanged sex for money, goods, or services in the last 6 months * Lived and/or worked in Lusaka for at least the last 3 months * Planning to remain in Lusaka for at least the next 3 months * Willing and able to provide contact information, including a reachable telephone number * Willing and able to provide informed consent in Nyanja, Bemba, or English FSW Exclusion Criteria: * Under the age of 18 years * Does not identify as a woman * Unable and/or unwilling to provide contact information * Unable and/or unwilling to provide informed consent Queen Mother Eligibility Criteria: * Aged 18 years or older * Currently engaged as a sex work manager ("queen mother") * Lived and/or worked in Lusaka for at least the last 3 months * Planning to remain in Lusaka for at least the next 6 months * Willing and able to provide contact information, including a reachable telephone number * Willing and able to provide informed consent in Nyanja, Bemba, or English Implementer Focus Group Discussion Eligibility Criteria: * Aged 18 years old or older * Working as a queen mother OR civil society organization/Ministry of Health/non-governmental organization clinician or peer navigator OR member of a civil society or implementing partner organization serving FSW * Willing and able to provide verbal informed consent in English, Nyanja, or Bemba
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) Head Office
Lusaka, Lusaka Province, 10101, Zambia
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