Community Involvement

Community Involvement

CDC has and will continue to work closely with community partners at each research site to ensure active community participation during the planning and implementation of these trials.

• Botswana — In Botswana, community advisory boards have been established at each site, which include representatives from local governments (elected and traditional), as well as community members and representatives from key stakeholder organizations. Participant advisory boards have also been established. These groups provide input to researchers throughout the trial.
• Thailand — In Thailand, a community relations committee, composed of injecting drug users from each of the 17 drug treatment centers, family members, and representatives of local community organizations, meets regularly and provides advice to study staff on all aspects of study design, implementation, and trial conduct.
• In the United States, all three sites established active community advisory boards that were consulted regularly about study procedures and educational materials for potential participants. Members of these boards provided ongoing advice throughout the trials.

In addition to the regular input received by these established committees, broader outreach and consultations with advocates and community-based organizations representing populations at risk for HIV are held, as needed, to address current and future plans for HIV prevention research and programs.