Grant: Master's Award - HIV/AIDS Community-Based Research: General Stream

How do community-based support networks address the health needs of women living with HIV? Using the concepts of tea parties warm environments will be created to engage in critical discussions about issues related to HIV. Tea parties are places for women to get together, share food and dialogue about issues that are important to them. A series of tea parties will be hosted in diverse and accessible locations moving away from more sterile meeting rooms and clinical settings where focus groups are often held. Participants will be encouraged to suggest locations, host at their homes, co-facilitate, and bring baked goods, to shape their experience. Unlike in traditional focus group models, the participants will be encouraged to take the lead in creating spaces that are conducive to their support needs. At these events, women will be asked to share their experiences of how they have or have not used community-based support networks in order to address their health needs. They will be asked to talk about where they go to get supports, what current programs exist, what their experiences have been like, and to identify gaps in service provision. Other guiding questions will include asking the women to share their personal stories and their thoughts on the types of supports that they need in order to improve their quality of life. Through this research data will be collected in order to inform future programing for AIDS service organizations, respect the self determination of WLHIV by creating opportunities to build their capacity and participate in research development and dissemination, and contribute towards the strengthening and rebuilding of a community of women living with HIV.