Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Women constitute a growing number of HIV cases globally and in Canada. Gender inequity is manifest in the barriers to services women experience such as structural and interpersonal violence, stigma and care models that cater to men. Particularly vulnerable groups including Indigenous women, sex workers and youth (<30) may also have intersecting barriers to HIV care from testing to treatment. There is evidence to suggest that peer support programs have shown increased participation in HIV care in certain contexts among sex workers and hard-to-reach populations. The objective of this research is to assess the need for women-centered HIV care and peer support for a broader group of WLWH. Cross-sectional data was drawn from the December 2015 baseline results of "Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS: Women's Longitudinal Needs Assessment" (SHAWNA), a prospective collaborative project for WLWH. The major aim of this study is to analyze the gaps in care over time for WLWH. Trained interviewers and nurses administer baseline and bi-annual follow-up questionnaires to WLWH. Of 160 women who are currently enrolled in the study and living with HIV, 60.6% (n=97) identify as having Indigenous ancestry of First Nations, Inuit or Metis, 31.3% (n=50) identify as being a gender or sexual minority and 83.8% (n=134) had ever exchanged sex for money or resources. Almost a quarter, 74.4% (n=119) reported it is important to see other women in the waiting room of an HIV clinic, 51.9% (n=83) reported that it was important to have peer support available at the clinic, and 54.7% (n=87) reported that peer support for people of the same culture was an important element of an HIV clinic. These preliminary results suggest that women-centered care with peer support is a necessary component of HIV care for WLWH. This may increase women's safety from being less likely to encounter gender-based violence or discrimination, and it may decrease the stigma experienced in care settings when a peer is present.