Exploring participatory HIV prevention strategies for youth through a community-based participatory research partnership

Issues: Engaging young people in HIV prevention efforts is crucial to stemming the global epidemic. Many programs have developed innovative participatory strategies for involving youth. However, few studies have researched the relationship between youth engagement in participatory HIV prevention programs and HIV risk reduction. Description: Our community-based participatory research partnership includes four community based adolescent HIV prevention programs, a state Department of Health and a university. Youth program participants between the ages of 13 and 24 piloted a survey regarding program participation characteristics, social connectedness, and HIV risk reduction. Data interpretation sessions sought to promote youth voice and adult-youth dialogue. Lessons learned: Youth and program staff were highly engaged in the research and data interpretation process and in the revision of research instruments. Including partners with diverse institutional roles (youth program participants and staff, state agency staff, and university based researchers) resulted in enhanced commitment, learning, and immediate opportunities for application of findings. Recommendations: We recommend the following practices for participatory studies of youth HIV prevention programs: 1) Provide tangible incentives to youth participants at the same time as fostering their intrinsic interest in the research process; 2) Develop infrastructure to allow rapid preliminary data analysis; 3) Organize timely community-based data interpretation sessions; 4) Develop processes for translation of research findings into program activities; 5) Encourage understanding and appropriation of the research process by participants; 6) Design flexible modes of participation for youth and frontline staff; and 7) Create opportunities for working sessions that spark dialogue among stakeholder groups.