Community-Engaged Research as an Approach to Expedite Advances in HIV Prevention, Care, and Treatment: A Call to Action

Abstract

Throughout the world, we continue to face profound challenges to reducing the impact of the HIV epidemic. Community-engaged research has emerged as an approach to increase our understanding of HIV and reduce health disparities, increase health equity, and promote community and population health. Our partnership has conducted more than 25 community-engaged research studies in the U.S. and Guatemala, and members have identified nine themes to facilitate community-engaged research and expedite advances in HIV prevention, care, and treatment. These themes include the inclusion of multisectoral partners, trust building and maintenance, the alignment of partner priorities, a can-do attitude, capacity and desire to move beyond service and conduct research, flexibility, power sharing, empowerment, an assets orientation, the shared and timely use of findings, and a stepwise approach. To reduce HIV disparities, community-engaged research is as critical now as ever, and we desperately need to reinvigorate our commitment to and support of it.

Critical Elements of Community Engagement to Address Disparities and Related Social Determinants of Health: The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention Community Approaches to Reducing Sexually Transmitted Disease Initiative

“… 12 , 14 – 17 , 23 However, although the rationale and theories supporting community engagement are well developed, what it takes to engage communities within real-world settings has received less attention. 27 – 29 We identified 12 community engagement elements within CARS. Several elements deserve highlighting.…”

THE CABE PROJECT: Developing a model to conceptualise the sexual attitudes, behaviours, and experiences of men who have sex with men and Waria in Bali, Indonesia: Protocol for a mixed-methods design within a community-engaged research study

“…26-29 This is achieved through the involvement of the community in the research process ensuring the research is culturally congruent. 26,27 The process of engagement commences at the beginning of the research and the community may be involved in prioritising or defining the community’s problem, developing research tools or methods, engaging in data collection, analysis, dissemination and publication of the research findings. While involvement does not necessarily have to be as equal as the researcher, it should be as significant as possible as the insiders’ perspective will help the researcher in designing effective recruitment strategies, culturally congruent data collection and suitable venues and modes for dissemination.…”

“…Furthermore, including a multi-sectoral partnership is also a focus in CEnR. 27 This project will add to the literature regarding the use of sequential exploratory explanatory mixed-methods design within a CEnR project and will provide a grounding for further research and model development in other settings and populations. The social model to be developed as a result of this study will help understand attitudes, behaviours, and experiences of MSM and waria in Bali and will inform guidelines, policy and practice for stakeholders and organisations working with MSM and waria to promote safer sexual health.…”

Prioritizing Community Partners and Community HIV Workers in the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…We use the term community partner to reflect the breadth of individuals and collaborating organizations (typically these are not-for-profit, non-governmental organizations) that HIV researchers and health departments rely on for realworld impact. These partners have been crucial throughout the unfolding history of HIV prevention and treatment programming [10]. This essential workforce is now on the frontline of a dual pandemic, and many might be at personal risk for COVID-19 as they mobilize to compile and disseminate resources and basic supplies to their communities [11,12].…”