The Chicago Queer Latine Collaborative: Catalyzing Health Equity Through Community-Engaged Opportunities.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Equity
• Community-Based Participatory Research

Background:

• Latine Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) communities experience higher rates of HIV diagnoses due to various barriers.
• Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake is limited by structural, social, and personal factors within these communities.
• Addressing HIV disparities requires research that integrates community lived experiences and cultural contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement a Community-Engaged Research (CER) approach to address HIV disparities in the Latine LGBTQ+ population.
• To develop and disseminate a culturally responsive and bilingual social marketing campaign promoting PrEP.
• To advocate for sustainable funding and equitable partnerships in community-led health initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Formed the Chicago Queer Latine (CQL) Collaborative, a multidisciplinary partnership.
• Utilized federal seed funding for capacity building and compensated training for community leaders.
• Co-developed and launched a bilingual social marketing campaign focused on PrEP awareness and uptake.

Main Results:

• The community-driven PrEP promotion campaign achieved significant reach and increased PrEP awareness and uptake.
• The CER approach, characterized by shared leadership and equitable compensation, proved successful.
• The study demonstrated the effectiveness of culturally responsive public health interventions.

Conclusions:

• Community-engaged research models are crucial for addressing health inequities in marginalized populations.
• Genuine shared leadership and equitable compensation for community partners are essential for successful public health research.
• Sustained investment in community-led initiatives and streamlined administrative processes are needed to achieve health equity.