Community-Based Participatory Research: Involving Young People with Lived Experiences of Problematic Sexual Behaviors

Community advisory boards bridge the gap between researchers and community members to yield the most informed and successful implementation of prevention services. Youth community advisory boards demonstrate the same research-community member benefit but forming them presents unique challenges that often limit their use. In this article, we present lessons learned from a participatory research study in which we engage young people with problematic sexual behaviors (PSB) in an anonymous community advisory board and interviews. After completing a survey, 16 interview participants and five advisory board members aged 14-21 with PSB were interviewed about the research process, providing insights into survey clarity and participant experiences. Data were analyzed using content analysis to identify key themes. Seven themes emerged from qualitative data analyses. Young people with PSB strongly support research on PSB and they are willing to discuss about sensitive and stigmatized topics. They are not harmed by engaging in these discussions and are capable of providing consent for their participation. Ensuring confidentiality is vital to creating a safe and ethical research environment. Creative communication methods are valuable for building trust and facilitating engagement, while establishing clear boundaries between researchers and participants is essential to maintaining professionalism and respect throughout. Limitations include small sample size, lack of early advisory board involvement, and constraints about participant verification and demographic data. This study highlights not only how to involve a vulnerable, at-risk community of young people in community-based participatory research on a highly stigmatized topic, but also the many benefits of this approach.