About

Abigail D. Harrison is an Associate Professor in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Brown University School of Public Health and a Faculty Associate in the Center for Global Public Health. Her research focuses on global HIV prevention, reproductive health, and health disparities among adolescents and young women, primarily in South Africa, other parts of sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria, and the United States. She conducts research in collaboration with various centers and global and local partners, emphasizing qualitative methods and community-based participatory approaches. Harrison's work addresses the intersections of violence and HIV in South African schools, the health and social needs of adolescents living with HIV, and the development of HIV prevention interventions for adolescent girls and young women using multidisciplinary implementation science approaches. She also studies women's reproductive decision-making in the context of contraceptive use and PrEP for HIV prevention. Harrison teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in global health and directs the Global Health Concentration for the MPH program. Her academic background includes a PhD in Epidemiology and Population Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, and an MA/MPH in International Health and Social Change and Development from Johns Hopkins University.

Research topics

• Psychology
• Medicine
• Family medicine
• Psychiatry
• Social psychology
• Political Science
• Clinical psychology
• Nursing
• Developmental psychology
• Psychotherapist

Selected publications

• Masibambane (Let Us Work Together), Ladies Chat: Pilot Evaluation of an Online, Gender-Enhanced, Group-Interactive Workshop to Promote Oral PrEP to Young South African Women

  AIDS and Behavior · 2025-06-12 · 2 citations

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  PublisherDOI

• Shades of Contemplation: HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Decision-Making among Young Women in South Africa

  AIDS and Behavior · 2025-07-04 · 2 citations

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  PublisherDOI

• Rationale and design of a randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of Safe South Africa, an intervention to prevent HIV risk behavior and sexual violence among adolescent boys

  Trials · 2025-12-08

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Rates of HIV acquisition and sexual violence perpetration are pressing public health issues for adolescents in South Africa. The evidence base around interventions that concomitantly address both HIV risk and prevention of sexual violence perpetration needs development. This protocol describes the design and procedures for a randomized controlled trial that investigates the efficacy of a behavioral intervention to address HIV and sexual violence called Safe South Africa. METHODS: Safe South Africa is a behavioral intervention. The intervention takes an integrated approach for preventing or reducing risk behavior related to the acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and the perpetration of sexual violence among adolescents in South Africa. The behavioral intervention is gender and developmentally tailored for adolescent boys aged 15-17 years and delivered in the school setting. The trial will compare the experimental intervention-Safe South Africa-with control of practice as usual. In South Africa, the practice as usual consists of no intervention, as there are currently no existing interventions that have been proven to be efficacious for reducing the risk for HIV and perpetration of sexual violence concurrently with adolescent boys in this setting. The study is based on the hypothesis that the behavioral intervention-Safe South Africa-will result in adolescent boys randomized to the intervention showing (a) a lower incidence of any STI (including HIV) and (b) reductions in sexual violence perpetration frequency and decreased endorsement of intimate partner violence supportive attitudes as compared to the control. N = 836 participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group with an allocation ratio of 1:1. Eligible participants include the following: (1) identification as boys; (2) ages 15-17 years; (3) enrolled at public high schools in South Africa situated in communities with high rates of HIV and violence. Participants must provide informed written assent (following parental consent). We will compare primary outcomes between the two study arms at 4 and 12 months versus baseline to quantify the intervention's short- and long-term effects using generalized estimating equations to account for repeated measures. DISCUSSION: Study findings will allow us to contribute to the evidence base of integrated HIV-violence prevention interventions that meet the needs of adolescents in school settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under protocol ID NCT03231358. Registered on December 27, 2024.

  PublisherDOI

• Acceptability, Feasibility, and Preliminary Efficacy of Schools Championing Safe South Africa, a Social Norms Intervention to Prevent HIV Risk Behavior and Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence Among Teenage Boys

  AIDS and Behavior · 2025-04-22

  articleOpen access

  Schools Championing Safe South Africa is an intervention to prevent sexual violence perpetration and HIV/STI risk behavior among teenage boys, focusing on correcting misperceived social norms regarding risk behavior and engaging boys, teachers and peers in school. We tested its acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy in a pilot RCT (N = 282). 99% of intervention boys reported high satisfaction with content, format, and delivery. There was good facilitator fidelity to the manualized protocol and 99% retention at 6-month follow-up. Among intervention boys, completed acts of any sexual violence perpetration (touching, oral, anal, and/or vaginal sex) decreased from 71% (95% CI: 61%, 80%) at baseline to 55% (95% CI: 44%, 66%) at 1 month follow-up, with a percentage difference of 15% (95% CI: 4%, 26%; p = 0.004). At 6 months, change was not significant (72-68%; p = 0.353). For the intervention group, attempted acts of any sexual violence perpetration reduced from 49% (95% CI: 40%, 58%) at baseline to 25% (95% CI: 17%, 33%) at 1 month, with a percentage difference of 22% (95% CI: 11%, 32%; p < 0.001) but was not sustained at 6 months (47-43%; p = 0.446). Across timepoints, the control group did not show significant changes in completed or attempted perpetration. There were no significant changes in condom use in the intervention or control groups. Behavioral signals of positive change for prevention of sexual violence perpetration combined with high acceptability and feasibility indicate that the intervention should be tested further for efficacy.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Adolescents' Perceptions of Gendered Influences on Mental Health: Results From a 13-Country Qualitative Study

  Journal of Adolescent Health · 2025-09-01 · 6 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Correcting misperceived norms: An integrated intervention to prevent adolescent sexual violence and HIV in South Africa

  Global Public Health · 2025-12-04

  articleOpen access

  , a behavioural intervention that engages adolescent boys and their peers to identify and address misperceived norms related to these epidemics within the school setting. A social norms survey conducted among 1,431 students aged 13-19 at 3 high schools guided the development of intervention content. The survey captured self-reported and perceived peer sexual violence and HIV norms and behaviours. Analyses identified major misalignment (>20%) between perceived peer behaviours/norms and actual behaviours/norms. Perpetration of unwanted sexual petting, oral, vaginal, and anal sex was high: 61%, 53%, 53%, and 44% among boys, and 42%, 26%, 20%, and 18% among girls. We identified underestimation of peer support for bystander intervention, overestimation of peer acceptance of gender-based violence, and underestimation of the extent to which peers would believe a survivor. No misalignment between self and peer HIV risk behaviours were identified. Gaps between actual and perceived behaviours/norms are important targets to correct in a behavioural intervention. Given the interconnected risk factors associated with sexual violence and HIV, addressing them together presents a crucial opportunity to maximize prevention efforts.

  PublisherDOI

• Gender norms and sexual violence among South African adolescents: discrepancies between personal attitudes and perceived peer norms

  AIDS Care · 2025-03-10

  articleOpen access

  Social norms, particularly those pertaining to gender equity, can shape attitudes and behaviors that contribute to adolescent sexual violence (SV). This study examines personal attitudes and perceived peer norms regarding gender equity and associations with perpetration of SV among 100 South Africans aged 13-17 in 2019. We assessed: (1) sexual activity and SV behaviors and (2) personal attitudes and perceived peer norms around gender equity. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and logistic regressions examined associations between attitudes, norms, and SV, adjusting for demographics. Findings reveal that 59% of sexually active adolescents reported perpetrating SV behaviors, though only 8% classified their actions as "rape". Adolescents endorsed more gender equitable personal attitudes compared to their perceptions of peers, highlighting a misperception of social norms. Differences in gender equitable attitudes by biological sex and perpetration status were minimal, however, males and those reporting perpetration were more likely to endorse specific inequitable gender attitudes. Number of lifetime sexual partners was significantly associated with SV perpetration, particularly among males. An age-sex interaction revealed opposing trends - older age was associated with reduced odds of SV perpetration among males but increased odds among females. Correcting misperceived norms is a promising strategy for SV prevention among South African adolescents.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Adolescents’ perceptions of gendered influences on mental health: Results from a 13-country qualitative study

  Research Square · 2025-05-26

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Food waste – engaging diverse and different communities in climate action

  European Journal of Public Health · 2025-10-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Background Climate change is the largest threat to human health, yet communities have the potential to take significant action. Food waste contributes between 8-10% of all greenhouse gases through the release of methane and wasted resources. Household food waste contributes 60% of all food waste globally. This study addresses the research question, ‘Can households connected through community effectively reduce household food waste and engage communities in climate action?' Methods The study took place in two areas of contrasting deprivation and ethnicity in a town in Northwest England. Community co-researchers designed a behavioural intervention that consisted of a household food waste survey measuring types and quantities of food waste, and a co-produced community activity. The survey was completed at baseline and repeated after a community activity. Community leaders with established community groups supported participant recruitment and the development of community activities. The intervention was refined using action research to capture feedback (focus groups and interviews) from the community leaders. Four co-researchers, 16 community leaders and 130 households participated. Results The intervention engaged diverse groups whose primary purpose was not climate change, sparking conversations and raising awareness of household food waste. Using a combined sample (n = 98), the intervention significantly reduced household food waste by 307g per week per household (z=-2.77, p=.006). The learning was used to create a food waste toolkit to enable impact on a wider scale. Co-designing the intervention developed a sense of co-ownership, providing a platform upon which to build for future action. Conclusions This co-designed community approach supported positive climate behaviour change. By engaging with existing groups whose primary focus was not climate change, it went beyond those who are climate-engaged. Impact is being created by the dissemination of the food waste toolkit. Key messages • Development of the food waste toolkit will ensure the learning can be upscaled. • Co-designing with the community delivers positive climate behaviour change and engages a broad range of the community.

  PublisherDOI

• ‘I am because you are’: Community support as a bridge to mental wellbeing for resettled African refugee women living in Rhode Island

  Global Public Health · 2024-02-09 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  = 15 resettled African refugees living in Rhode Island. Here we (1) describe how meanings of mental health within the African refugee community vary from US understandings of PTSD, depression, and anxiety and (2) generate a framework revealing how mental health among participants results from interactions between social support, African sociocultural norms, and US norms and systems. Multiple barriers and facilitators of mental wellbeing lie at the intersections of these three primary concepts. We recommend that public health and medicine leverage the strength of existing community networks and organisations to address the heavy burden of poor mental health among resettled African refugee women.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Health Needs of First Generation-HIV Infected Adolescents

  NIH · $411k · 2017–2021

Frequent coauthors

• Caroline Kuo

  St. George's University

  86 shared

• Susie Hoffman

  Columbia University

  54 shared

• Mark N. Lurie

  Providence College

  51 shared

• Omar Galárraga

  Brown University

  48 shared

• Jennifer Pellowski

  John Brown University

  47 shared

• David R. Bangsberg

  VinUniversity

  37 shared

• Brandon Brown

  French Institute for Research in Africa

  36 shared

• Lynn T. Matthews

  Massachusetts General Hospital

  34 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Epidemiology and Population Health

  London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London

• Other, International Health and Social Change and Development

  Johns Hopkins University