Communities Started the End of the HIV Epidemic: Experiences With and Recommendations for Conducting Community-Engaged HIV Implementation Research

Communities of people living with or impacted by HIV have been at the forefront of HIV research, from identifying the health priorities to advocating for the development and implementation of interventions that benefit affected populations and individuals. Community engagement is considered fundamental for successful implementation of science projects. However, researchers have acknowledged the limited guidance on community engagement for implementation science research. Some recommendations have been made for community engagement in implementation sciences, but conducting HIV implementation research must consider the unique challenges of addressing the stigma and disenfranchisement of the populations affected. Despite the specific difficulties for community-engaged implementation science research, there are successful experiences and lessons learned that could support future fruitful experiences. This publication aims to share recommendations for community-engaged HIV implementation research based on the expertise of community-academic partnerships. These recommendations include the perspectives of academic and community partners. Community engagement in HIV implementation research will be needed beyond ending the epidemic. The future of community engagement in research may lay in embracing the constant change and securing the mechanisms to respond to it.