Your Story, Your Health: Local Study Aims to Improve LGBTQ+ Care
U-M study seeks gay and bi men to improve HIV prevention efforts
With anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and policy rollbacks on the rise, it's easy to feel powerless.
But a study from the University of Michigan offers a tangible way to push back — right here in Southeast Michigan — by sharing your story through research that values LGBTQ+ experiences and builds evidence for better healthcare and policy.
The Verve study, led by the University of Michigan School of Nursing, explores how relationship dynamics impact HIV prevention among gay and bisexual men. It's a chance for Southeast Michigan's LGBTQ+ community to contribute to research that could shape future care and policy at a time when such opportunities may become increasingly rare.
Filling a critical research gap
Verve focuses on a group historically underrepresented in health research: cisgender gay and bisexual men in relationships with other men.
"We know that intimate partner violence does happen in same-sex relationships," said Renee Pitter, clinical research project manager at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. "But primarily studies have focused on women."
This research gap has real-world consequences. As Pitter explained, “When two men are in a domestic dispute, a lot of times it's more seen as a fight than abuse… it's assumed to be mutual, and so people don't take it as seriously as with men and women.”
This perception — shared by healthcare providers, law enforcement and even within LGBTQ+ communities — can prevent effective intervention and support. And critically, in the context of HIV prevention, controlling or abusive dynamics may create barriers to accessing care and maintaining healthy behaviors.
Understanding the connection
The Verve study follows participants over two years to understand how relationship experiences, particularly intimate partner violence, may impact HIV prevention efforts. One of its core research questions examines whether unhealthy or controlling relationship dynamics make it harder for individuals to access or maintain HIV prevention strategies like Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).
"That's one of the questions that we want to get at in this study," Pitter said. "If you have a controlling partner that won't let you get your medications, or that won't agree to using condoms, or whatever the case may be... intimate partner violence could be a potential reason why people struggle to protect themselves."
Privacy and safety
Because Verve asks participants to share sensitive information about their relationships, the research team has implemented comprehensive privacy protections. All participants are identified only by study ID numbers, never by name. Digital files are stored on encrypted, HIPAA-compliant systems, and all researchers follow strict guidelines established by the university's Institutional Review Board.
"When participants are sharing their information, it does not leave beyond the study team, unless there's a legal reason to do so," Pitter emphasized. "Our first priority is our participants. We want to ensure their safety, their privacy, and their confidentiality."
Despite the sensitive nature of the topics, Pitter noted that participants are often surprisingly open once they feel safe and supported. There are many people who want to share their story and help their community.
Fighting back locally
Verve represents more than academic research — it's about building evidence that can improve health outcomes and drive lasting change for LGBTQ+ communities, Pitter said. It’s common for people in marginalized communities to feel isolated or dismissed, she explained. But when research documents concrete patterns, individual experiences become part of a collective voice that can influence healthcare practices, guide prevention programs, and support more inclusive policies.
This work is especially urgent given the current political climate. Funding for LGBTQ+ health research has faced cuts, and future support remains uncertain.
Understanding how relationship dynamics affect HIV prevention could lead to more effective interventions, such as couple-based counseling programs, safety planning resources, or healthcare protocols that screen for intimate partner violence in HIV prevention settings. It could also inform future efforts to support LGBTQ+ individuals in accessing preventive care.
How to participate
Verve focuses on understanding the conditions that enable people to make empowered, informed choices about their health. By identifying specific relationship factors that affect HIV risk, researchers hope to develop more effective, targeted interventions that help the local LGBTQ+ community.
The study is currently enrolling participants throughout Southeast Michigan, including Wayne, Oakland, Washtenaw and surrounding counties. To be eligible, individuals must be:
- HIV-negative cisgender men who have sex with men
- Over 18 years old
- Currently in a relationship with another cisgender man
- English-speaking
- Living in Southeast Michigan
For safety reasons, only one member of a couple may enroll in the study.
Participation involves both in-person visits and online components over two years. Every six months, participants attend clinic visits in Ann Arbor or Detroit for HIV testing and to provide biological samples (urine test, self-collected anal swab and blood draw). Every three months, participants complete online surveys about their relationships and health behaviors.
Participants receive compensation after each component, totaling up to $410 over the full two-year study period. This compensation helps cover time and travel expenses.
Enrollment for the Verve study remains open, though interested individuals are encouraged to apply soon as capacity is limited.
"We can't do this important work without people who are willing to give their time and effort," Pitter said. "We really, really appreciate everyone who participates."
This content is made possible through our partnership with the University of Michigan. To see if you qualify or to learn more about the Verve study, visit sexualityandhealth.org/verve.
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