We want to hear from service providers and community workers who are helping make a difference in the lives of sexual and gender diverse (SGD) im/migrants and refugees, including newcomers, living with HIV across Canada.
This national study explores how HIV testing, care, and overall wellbeing can be improved for SGD im/migrants and refugees.
This project is led by Ben Klassen (Community-Based Research Centre), Dr. Francisco Ibanez-Carrasco (University of Toronto), and Dr. Nathan Lachowsky (University of Northern British Columbia) in partnership with community organizations nationwide. Funding for the study is provided by Gilead Sciences, Inc.
SGD im/migrants and refugees often face hate, racism, xenophobia, and anti-LGBTQ+ stigma — barriers that make accessing HIV care more difficult. Yet community-based initiatives are creating inclusive, trauma-informed, and culturally grounded services that truly work. We want to learn from your expertise and experiences as a provider to understand what helps people connect to and stay in care.
We’re inviting two groups to take part in one-on-one interviews (about 60–120 minutes) conducted online over Zoom:
- SGD im/migrants and refugees, including newcomers, living with HIV
- Service providers who provides services to improve access to HIV care for SGD im/migrants and refugees living with HIV
This is a call for service providers (For community member interviews, please check out a call for community members.
We’re inviting service providers and volunteers who:
- Live in Canada
- Are 16 years or older
- Work or volunteer with HIV, SGD, or newcomer/settlement organizations (including peer support groups)
- Are involved in programs or services that include SGD im/migrants and refugees living with HIV
- Are 16 years or older
- Can communicate in English, French, or Spanish
We especially welcome voices of providers living with HIV themselves, newcomers, Indigenous, Black, and other people of colour (IBPOC), trans and non-binary folks, people who use substances, those with precarious immigration status, living in rural or remote areas, or who speak English as an additional language.
If you are eligible and selected for an interview, you will receive a $100 honorarium as a token of appreciation.
Your insights will help us identify gaps, highlight best practices, and strengthen HIV care systems for SGD im/migrant and refugee communities nationwide.
To participate, please complete the service provider interest form here: https://uvicresearch.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aabuMQqY7cMEWI6
Have questions? Reach out to our research team at [email protected]
This study has received ethical approval from the University of Northern British Columbia Research Ethics Board (6010242) and University of Toronto Research Ethics Board (00050666).
If you have any concerns or complaints about your rights as a research participant and/or your experiences while participating in this study, contact the UNBC Office of Research at 250‑960‑6735 or by e-mail at [email protected].
