Establishing a Partnership to Support an HIV Prevention Intervention for Latina Women in South Florida (United States of America)

Objective. To describe practices used in the formation of a community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership between M.U.J.E.R., a community-based organization located in South Florida, and the School of Nursing and Health Studies at the University of Miami (United States of America). The purpose of this partnership was to adapt SEPA -Salud, Educación, Prevención, Autocuidado; Health, Education, Prevention, Self-care, in English- into SEPA+PrEP -Salud, Educación, Prevención, Autocuidado + Profilaxis Pre-exposición; Health, Education, Prevention, Self-care + Pre-exposure prophylaxis, in English) to facilitate CBPR focused on HIV prevention among Latina women. Methods. Our community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership blends multiple perspectives from community partners (community advisory board, community centers), clinical experts, cisgender heterosexual Latina members of the community, and academic/research members. Results. Partnering practices included (i) developing a collaborative and trusting partnership, (ii) relationship building and attending to power dynamics, (iii) building capacity through mutual learning, (iv) conducting research to address barriers to HIV prevention among Latina women, and (v) implementation of knowledge gained in future CBPR. Conclusion. The long-term success of our CBPR partnership should be measured by the capacity developed within the community and the successful implementation of community programming. Key Intentional implementation of CBPR partnership practices, tailored to academic and community institutions’ unique needs, can result in high-trust, long-term relationships.