Mobilizing the United States' Diverse African American MSM population: Engagement, Recruitment and Retention Strategies of HPTN 061, the BROTHERS Study

Issue(s): African American MSM represents a quarter of new infections annually despite having lower prevalence of sexual risk behaviors than their white counterparts. The under-representation of African American MSM in HIV research highlights the urgent need to obtain specific information about the diversity of African American MSM cultures. HPTN 061 offers a unique opportunity to characterize the epidemic among African American MSM with a focus on seeking a deeper understanding of its characteristics. Description: The BROTHERS study is a community-level pilot study being conducted in 8 US communities to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a multi-component HIV-prevention intervention with African American MSM recruited through various social marketing campaigns coupled with venue based recruitment techniques. Lessons Learned: Through quantitative and qualitative methods, researchers in the 7 communities have begun to better understand the complexities of working with diverse populations with myriad needs. From June 09 – Sept 10, each site screened for eligibility that resulted in recruitment of 1561 eligible African American MSM. Participants were heterogeneous, ranging from men with basic survival needs (e.g., housing, medical care) to those fulfilling altruistic needs by participating and being retained in the study. Recommendation: Engaging the diverse US African American MSM population must include a multi-level process that is grounded in community engagement. Future research should obtain additional information about the diverse network complexities that exist, including a formative analysis of the needs of the African American MSM population. Effective strategies should then be developed that directly address the complexities of this population.