The Austin Fast-Track Cities’ Social Determinants of Health & Equity workgroup is piloting phase 1 of the People Living with HIV (PLHIV) Stigma Index to gather important information from community members living with HIV. Our aim is to use our findings to reduce HIV stigma, increase access to health care and community resources, and improve the patient-provider health care experience for people living with HIV.
The Stigma Index has been implemented in over 100 countries around the world and in three US States (Michigan, New Jersey, and Louisiana). Visit https://www.stigmaindex.org/about-the-stigma-index/ for more information on the PLHIV Stigma Index. Per assessment procedures, the Stigma Index is led and implemented by PLHIV in the Austin Transitional Grant Area (i.e., Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson Counties).
We are looking for PLHIV to recruit and conduct interviews with other PLHIV. Interviewers must:
- Be living with HIV and comfortable disclosing their status to interviewees
- Be a resident of Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, or Williamson counties
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Speak English (we are also seeking bilingual interviewers)
Interviews will be conducted in community spaces in the Austin area. Interviewers will be provided with a $125 stipend for each interview conducted. The stipend is intended to cover time and all expenses for each interview (e.g., transportation).
If you are interested in serving as an interviewer, please fill out the form below before July 1st, 2025. Information you share will remain confidential and will not be shared with anyone outside of the study team. Community support is vital in our efforts to end the HIV epidemic.
If you prefer to submit your information directly and confidentially to a team member, please contact Graham Ambrose by email at gambrose@cardeaservices.org or phone at 510-930-5989.