PeerPower Memphis: An Implementation Science Approach to Peer-Delivered HIV Testing and Linkage Among Young Adults

Abstract

PeerPower Memphis is a community-engaged, implementation science–driven project designed to expand HIV testing and linkage to care among young adults in Memphis, Tennessee, a city with one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the United States. The U.S. South continues to bear a disproportionate burden of HIV, and in Memphis, youth ages 13–24 account for one-third of new diagnoses, with Black residents experiencing the greatest impact. Despite the critical role of early diagnosis in reducing transmission, one in eight people living with HIV remain unaware of their status. PeerPower Memphis addresses this gap through a novel peer-to-peer HIV testing model led by certified student testers trained through the Tennessee Department of Health’s HEAT program.

Guided by the Proctor Implementation Outcomes Framework and the Implementation Research Logic Model, the project follows a structured train–deploy–evaluate–adapt cycle. Certified student testers will conduct at least two HIV testing events per semester in campus and community settings, with immediate referrals for confirmatory testing, antiretroviral therapy, and PrEP services. Friends For All will provide clinical supervision, quality assurance, and linkage-to-care support. Key outcomes include implementation measures (acceptability, feasibility, fidelity, adoption, and sustainability), service outcomes (linkage to care and PrEP referrals), and clinical outcomes (HIV status awareness and progress toward viral suppression).

The project will produce tangible community benefits, including a trained cohort of certified student testers, a replicable peer ambassador model, and culturally tailored training and quality-assurance protocols. With modest targeted funding and strong academic–community partnerships, PeerPower Memphis offers a scalable and sustainable strategy to reduce stigma, expand access to testing, and strengthen HIV prevention infrastructure in Memphis and similar high-burden communities.