Integrating Research and Community Engagement to Enhance HIV Prevention Efforts for Black and Latino Young Men Who Have Sex with Men

Community-based research facilitates the development of innovative, evidence-driven HIV/AIDS services and strategies. The HIV/AIDS Resource Center (HARC) and AIDS Partnership Michigan (APM) created a partnership with the University of Michigan School of Public Health, which has served as a successful model for community-based research and capacity building. In our presentation, we discuss the development of the partnership and share lessons learned, including how research findings have been used to inform and design local HIV prevention interventions for young men who have sex with men (MSM). We share the impact that this collaboration has had in the community through the analysis of local data to benefit the health of young MSM, using two case studies as examples: (1) the integration of research data into the StatusSexy campaign, a grassroots social media campaign to encourage HIV testing and decrease HIV stigma in the Detroit Metro Area; and, (2) the formation of a policy advocacy strategy, the United for HIV Integration and Policy (UHIP), seeking to address the HIV/AIDS disparities among Black and Latino young MSM in our community. We reflect on our opportunities and challenges in hopes of promoting academic-community partnerships focused on HIV/AIDS prevention and care.