This presentation explores the evolution of HIV prevention through the perspective of a Black woman, Community Health Advocate, and clinical research participant deeply engaged in advancing PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) innovation. While biomedical advancements from daily oral PrEP to long acting injectables have expanded prevention options, Black communities remain underrepresented in research and disproportionately impacted by persistent barriers to access. Through a lived-experience narrative, this session examines how medical mistrust, historical trauma, and unequal power dynamics shape community attitudes toward clinical research and preventive care.

The presentation highlights key lessons learned during personal participation in a PrEP clinical trial including the emotional complexity of navigating research as both a subject and an advocate and offers insight into the ethical, social, and relational dimensions often missing from traditional public health approaches. Grounded in evidence and storytelling, this session moves beyond “data awareness” toward “trust repair,” emphasizing strategies for equitable study design, culturally responsive recruitment, and meaningful participant engagement.

Participants will leave with actionable strategies to strengthen community trust, foster authentic partnerships between researchers and impacted populations, and reframe participation in research not as a risk, but as a form of advocacy, agency, and justice. Ultimately, this session bridges the gap between scientific advancement and real-world impact by centering lived experience as a critical tool in ending the HIV epidemic.