Larissa Jennings
Mayo-Wilson, PhD MHS
I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Department of Maternal and Child Health at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. I am a sexual and reproductive health behavioral scientist with methodological skills in epidemiology, biostatistics, and qualitative science.
My research focuses on how to improve sexual and reproductive health (SRH), including HIV, in adolescents and young adults with low economic status and unmet SRH needs. I do this through three main areas of research.
One, I use quantitative randomized behavioral clinical trials to design and evaluate economic and environmental interventions to improve SRH outcomes, including HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI). My work investigates how to relieve poverty in urban and rural areas, such that people can achieve their health-related goals.This includes interventions involving employment, entrepreneurship, income, grants, savings, vouchers, or financial incentives. Through intervention effectiveness research, I also study the mechanisms that link these factors to beneficial or adverse SRH/HIV outcomes.
Second, my research studies how economic and environmental factors - such as economic violence, paid leave policies, or built and virtual health care settings - affect SRH/HIV care-seeking and related outcomes. I am also interested in how undergoing SRH care therapies impacts economic outcomes for women and children. I examine these questions using quantitative data from nationally-representative population surveys, qualitative interviews, and social media data.
Third, my research examines how self-care approaches enhance or minimize access to SRH/HIV services in communities with high poverty rates and low access to care. I am particularly interested in STI self-testing, fertility self-injection, pregnancy monitoring, and HIV prophylactic and therapeutic self-medication (PrEP/ART) - and how these self-care approaches enable or hinder a person’s efforts to form the families of their choice.
As part of this work, I am a faculty fellow at the UNC Carolina Population Center, a research fellow at the UNC Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the UNC School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. I am also a member of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) and the American Public Health Association (APHA).
Research
Microenterprise and behavioral economics intervention for sexual and biomedical HIV prevention in young adults (EMERGE) (Role: PI, NIH R01)
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of an employment-focused intervention with HIV behavioral nudges on economic stability, protected sex, and PrEP initiation among U.S. young adults experiencing homelessness and economic hardship. This study uses a mixed-methods randomized clinical trial design.
Clinical and community care experiences (CCCE) of women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the U.S. (Role: PI, UNC)
Objective: To examine women’s perceptions of IVF care experiences in fertility clinics and broader household, workplace, and community settings. This study assesses economic, mental, and physical health experiences uses a qualitative longitudinal design.
Effects of work and finances on self-management of sexual and reproductive health in young adults (Role: PI, UNC)
Objective: To estimate differences in uptake of self-care services to prevent STI infection or to achieve or prevent pregnancy in U.S. young adults experiencing enabling versus non-enabling work environments. This study uses population data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCW).
Perceptions of unmet sexual and reproductive health care needs (PRICE) in followers of Facebook health influencers who are living with HIV (Role: PI, UNC)
Objective: To investigate attitudes about unmet healthcare needs for antiretroviral therapy, STI monitoring, and reproductive assisted technologies in persons living with HIV. This study conducts statistical and thematic analyses of FB video and comment posts.
Creating access to resources and economic support (CARES) to mitigate pandemic-related psychological distress (Role: Co-I, NIH)
Objective: To assess the efficacy of a peer-mentoring and micro-grant intervention in reducing economic and mental health harms among pandemic-affected people. This study uses a mixed-methods randomized clinical trial design.
Adolescent medicine trials network (ATN) for HIV and AIDS interventions: senior leadership group (SLG) (Role: Co-I, NIH)
Objective: To characterize the role of institutions, organizations, and policies (IOP) in reducing new HIV infections and in improving the HIV care continuum in U.S. adolescents and young adults. IOP-SLG uses ATN clinical trial data in several U.S. metropolitan areas.
Strengthening community responses to economic vulnerability and HIV inequities (SeCuRE) (Role: Co-PI, NIH)
Objective: To examine the feasibility and acceptability of a micro-economic intervention to support U.S. women with low economic status to increase employment acquisition and reduce determinants of HIV risk. This study uses a feasibility randomized trial design.
Combined HIV services and microenterprise for equitable and sustained recovery (CHIMES) intervention (Role: Co-I, Gilead)
Objective: To examine the feasibility and acceptability of a combined intervention to achieve remission among HIV-infected individuals receiving substance use disorder (SUD) treatment in Tanzania. This study uses a feasibility randomized trial design.
Advising
I advise PhD and MPH students in the UNC Department of Health Behavior and the UNC Department of Maternal and Child Health. I also advise pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellows at the UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
Students and fellows who are interested in addressing economic and environmental obstacles to health are welcome to note my name in their program application.
Service
I welcome invitations for service opportunities within organizations committed to health and economic justice locally and abroad.
Current
Advisor, National Working Positive Coalition (NWPC)
Advisor, Guaranteed Income & Health Consortium (GIHC)
Associate Editor, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
Advisor, UNC Gillings Research Strategic Plan Implementation Committee
Former
Chair, HIV/AIDS Research Program Review Panel: Economic Justice Interventions to Combat HIV (CHRP)
Board Member, Nursing Network on Violence Against Women (NNVAWI)
Board Member, One House at a Time (OHAAT)
Publications
Full List of Publications on PubMed
N = 90 peer-reviewed publications
- 22% clinical trials
- 39% observational studies
- 23% qualitative research
- 16% editorials and reviews
n = 30 first-author publications
n = 40 publications with students
400+ citations per Google Scholar
