The Canadian HIV Stigma Index CBR Project

Stigma persists as a profound stressor in the lives of people living with HIV affecting access to care, treatment, and employment. HIV stigma can be perceived, directed at individuals and groups or systemic; it varies across lifespans, gender and sexual spectra, contexts and structures and ranges from single micro-aggressions to general stereotyping. The proposed national community-based research study will implement The People Living with HIV Stigma Index in Canada. It will recruit 1,200 adults living with HIV in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic provinces in order to: 1) better understand the social determinants of HIV stigma such as gender, cultural milieus and socioeconomic status, 2) map out HIV stigma across lifespans, contexts, structures and systems such as the workplace, the legal system, the educational system and the health system, and 3) mobilize local and national actionable solution(s) to support people living with HIV (e.g. local policy change efforts). This data and process will be used by people living with HIV, community-based AIDS service organizations, policy makers, health care providers and researchers to implement evidence-informed local activities. The education and KTE process rests on a successful learning model for delivery of content, skills and experience; a model that is a) "blended" (in-person, online, a/synchronous), b) "convenient" (traditional, electronic and mobile learning), and c) multimodal (including social and traditional media, conventional and online events. This is a strong community-academic partnership between communities and researchers across Canada. It includes a governance based on regional leadership-the Canadian HIV Stigma Index Steering Committee comprised entirely of people living with HIV-with national coordination. It includes networks of people living with HIV, academics, people from private and community-based sectors, and when available, government decision-makers.