Reciprocity and retaining African-American women with HIV in research

Retaining African-American women who are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive in longitudinal research is crucial to improving prevention and treatment in this population. Interviews with 22 African-American HIV-positive women conducted at the end of a 2-year study indicated that over the course of the study, reports of discomfort with participation gave way to reports of appreciating the benefits of participation. Women commented on the importance of their relationships with researchers, in which they received benefits and provided a service to the researchers. We postulate that developing reciprocity between research teams and participants may be helpful in retaining African-American women in research