title: Investigating Community Concerns Regarding HIV Prevention Organizations' Expertise in Serving HIV-Vulnerable Populations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS (PLWH/A) and others affected have expressed that cultural differences between patients and providers can create barriers to care and prevention. These barriers are exacerbated in the case of vulnerable populations who are often marginalized by society. During the formative phase of a community-based participatory research (CBPR) process, the researchers' community advisory committee (CAC) and HIV stakeholders shared anecdotes of incongruencies between needs of HIV-vulnerable populations and expertise of local providers. In response, researchers worked with the CAC to develop survey questions intended for providers of HIV prevention services in a region afflicted with some of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the country.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to identify and validate HIV stakeholders' perceptions about challenges to provision of HIV services through a sequential mixed methods study design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty HIV prevention organizations (HPOs) were identified as local leaders in HIV prevention by community stakeholders and through community event attendance. Each HPO was invited to participate in an interviewer-assisted survey examining population-specific expertise and service for 15 HIV-vulnerable populations. Frequency analysis was used to compare HPOs' expertise relative to who they serve (n = 26).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although 13 of the HIV-vulnerable populations were served by more than 50% of the HPOs, only 2 of these 13 populations were served with high expertise by more than one half of the HPOs in the sample.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data give credence to the CAC's concern regarding misalliance between whom HPOs serve and with whom they have high expertise, a factor potentially influencing HIV outcomes among HIV-vulnerable populations.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bellows
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: Brad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boekeloo
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Randolph
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000379:methods; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000379:methods*; D054521:Cultural Competency; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations