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Background: Connect to Protect (C2P): Partnerships for Youth Prevention Interventions is an initiative that alters the community's structural elements to reduce youth HIV rates., Objectives: This study details a community resource assessment and describes how resources were evaluated in the context of local needs., Methods: Fifteen sites developed a community resource list, conducted a brief survey, created a youth service directory, and mapped where disease prevalence and community resources intersected. Sites also completed a survey to review and verify local site findings., Results: On average, sites identified 267 potential community resources. Sites narrowed their resource list to conduct a brief survey with 1,162 agencies; the site average was 78. Final products of this process included maps comparing resources with risk data., Conclusions: The evaluation of local resources is an important initial step in partnership development and is essential for the success of health promotion and disease prevention interventions that target adolescents.

Purpose: This study describes the partner selection process in 15 U.S. communities developing community-researcher partnerships for the Connect to Protect (C2P): Partnerships for Youth Prevention Interventions, an initiative of the Adolescent Trials Network for human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) Interventions., Methods: Each site generated an epidemiological profile of urban youth in their community, selected a focus population and geographic area of youth at risk for HIV, conducted a series of successive structured interviews, and engaged in a process of relationship-building efforts culminating in a collaborative network of community agencies., Results: Sites chose as their primary target population young women who have sex with men (n = 8 sites), young men who have sex with men (n = 6), and intravenous drug users (n = 1). Of 1162 agencies initially interviewed, 281 of 335 approached (84%) agreed to join the partnership (average 19/site). A diverse array of community agencies were represented in the final collaborative network; specific characteristics included: 93% served the sites' target population, 54% were predominantly youth oriented, 59% were located in the geographical area of focus, and 39% reported provision of HIV/STI (sexually transmitted infection) prevention services. Relationship-building activities, development of collaborative relationships, and lessons learned, including barriers and facilitators to partnership, are also described., Conclusions: Study findings address a major gap in the community partner research literature. Health researchers and policymakers need an effective partner selection framework whereby community-researcher partnerships can develop a solid foundation to address public health concerns.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is dramatically affecting adolescents. Although it is estimated that 50% of new HIV infections in the United States is among people under 25 years of age, adolescents seek HIV counseling and testing services at a much lower rate than adults. Furthermore, many HIV-infected adolescents remain unaware of their status and do not seek health care. As HIV identification remains the most important gap in the efforts to control the spread of the HIV epidemic among youths, there is an increasing need to implement creative strategies to attract youths to HIV screening services. This article describes the implementation of an innovative HIV/AIDS social marketing campaign designed to attract at-risk urban adolescents to youth-friendly HIV counseling and testing services and link them to comprehensive health care. In addition, the article describes the key elements of the social marketing initiative: 1) designing a meaningful message, 2) attaining audience credibility, and 3) mobilizing the community.