Building community partnerships: case studies of Community Advisory Boards at research sites in Peru, Zimbabwe, and Thailand.

Background: Differences in resources, knowledge, and infrastructure between countries initiating and countries hosting HIV prevention research trials frequently yield ethical dilemmas. Community Advisory Boards (CABs) have emerged as one strategy for establishing partnerships between researchers and host communities to promote community consultation in socially sensitive research.

Purpose: To understand the evolution of CABs and community partnerships at international research sites conducting HIV prevention trials.