Science-in-action with couples, companions and person’s living with HIV: Participatory action research and peer-support

7^th International Conference on HIV/AIDS, STDs and STIs

March 18-19, 2019 | New York, USA

Patricia Miller

Mount Royal University, Canada

Keynote: J AIDS CLIN RES

Abstract :

It is extremely important to develop social-relational HIV/AIDS community-based networks in order to deal directly with the pervasiveness of HIV-infused social stigma and compounding isolation that personâ??s living with HIV face. Rintamaki, Davis, Skripkauskas, Bennette, and Wolf (2006) revealed how social stigma prevented HIV patients from disclosing their status and seeking ongoing HIV care which further contributes to shame and isolation. The proposed community-based research begins with a knowledge among all stakeholders that the HIV lived experience is foundational to all social-relational networks that will be built within the peer-focused, participatory action research project. Therefore, developing peer support networks, [i.e., social support networks, a pan Canadian determinant of health (Truman and Trueman, 1996)] is premised on knowledge of the lived experience context within which community is built will further contribute to the well-being of the participants of this research project. It will do so by valuing the lived experience, engaging collaborative practices within co-researcher relationships, while contributing to capacity building within the HIV community itself. As a first step, we propose a Community Based Research workshop will focus on objectives that include:

Biography :

Patricia Miller is an Assistant Professor at Mount Royal University, within the faculty of Child and Youth Studies and Social Work. She continues to consult and research within the larger HIV community, within the province of Alberta. She is dually registered as a Social Worker and Psychologist, while running a private practice within the city of Calgary, Alberta.

E-mail: patricia.miller@shaw.ca