Research Program
Community Education Group understands the importance of research in the development of viable programs and policies that reflect the needs and concerns of the communities they are designed to help.  With this understanding, CEG has striven to develop a research program that examines the issues of Black women, their families and communities as expressed from the African American communities affected and infected by this disease.

For more information about the CEG Research Program,
please contact K. Shakira Washington at (202) 543-2376 x102.

Below, are examples of studies conducted through CEG.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Minority AIDS Initiative (MARI)
In 2003, CEG received funding for its first large scale study – “Equal Access” - from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Minority AIDS Research Initiative (MARI).  The goal of this program was and continues to be to support the work and research ideas of minority researchers interested in conducting studies on issues of HIV/AIDS.  CEG was the only non-profit organization to receive funding through this program. 

The focus of the “Equal Access” study was to examine facilitators and barriers to participation in HIV preventive vaccine clinical trials among African American communities.   Data was collected from three independent sites with CEG being the lead agency for two sites – the District of Columbia and Oakland, California. 

In the District, 583 participants were recruited and completed a computer administered survey.  Of this 583, almost 50% of study participants expressed some willingness or interest in participating in HIV preventive vaccine clinical trials.  Those most interested in participating were individuals engaged in high risk behaviors, individuals who knew someone who was living with AIDS, individuals with higher scores on our “altruism” scale, and those less likely to believe in genocidal/conspiracy theories (see poster: Willingness to Participate).

MARI: Women Who Report Sexual Partners with a History of Incarceration
In 2005, of all women infected with HIV annually, African American women account for approximately 65% of all new infections.  There have been many reasons investigated and discussed in the literature about the impact of economic, social and political disparities among African American women and its impact of rates of infection.  In recent years, more attention has been growing around the intersection of rates of incarceration and HIV infection within the African American community.  As a part of the MARI “Equal Access” study, data was collected on participant’s perceptions of risk and their risk taking behaviors.  Of these questions, women were asked “In the past year, have you had a sexual partner who was recently released from prison?” 

In 2007, CEG conducted analysis of the females who responded to this question and compared women reporting a partner with a history of incarceration to those not reporting such partners.  The goal of the analysis was to see if there were significant differences demographically, behaviorally, and in perceptions of risk for future infection between these two groups of women.  Analysis found that women with partners with a history of incarceration were more economically and socially disenfranchised, engaged in risk taking behaviors at significantly higher rates, but were more likely to perceive of their risk for infection more accurately than women not reporting a sexual partner with a history of incarceration.  Unfortunately, the majority of both groups – regardless of risk taking behaviors – continue to use condoms inconsistently (see abstract: Women Reporting Sexual Partners).

Rapid Assessment Research and Evaluation (R.A.R.E.)
In the spring of 2006, CEG was funded to conduct a Rapid Assessment Research and Evaluation (R.A.R.E.) study in Ward 7 of the District of Columbia – a predominantly African American, low income area with extremely high rates of HIV infection.  The goal of this study was to gather preliminary data on the intersection of rates of HIV infection and intimate partner violence (IPV) in Ward 7.  This study was a 90 day assessment that included geo-mapping, qualitative expert interviews, focus groups, and street intercept interviews.

The results of our study found that there were few HIV and IPV service agencies in the target area as compared to other areas of the District, service providers as well as community members feel that both HIV and IPV are serious problems in there community, while many do not have data support their beliefs or perceptions, many feel that IPV and rates of IPV are connected (see poster: IPV/HIV Study).