The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS is excited to let you know about the SHAPE study that has been launched. SHAPE is led by Dr. Rolando Barrios, Assistant Director of the BC-CfE, as the Principal Investigator. This study will examine the impact of BC’s STOP HIV/AIDS Program by surveying HIV-positive individuals on their experiences with HIV testing, health care and ART. Our purpose is to learn what challenges individuals face accessing and remaining in HIV care in the context of the province-wide rollout of the STOP Program. More information about the STOP program is available online at http://stophivaids.ca .
This SHAPE study is open to anyone living with HIV in BC who is in the drug treatment program (has had a plasma viral load test, CD4 count test, or who has ever taken ART). We will recruit 810 individuals for this study and have set up quotas to make sure we get diverse participants (from each health authority, different age groups, ethnicities, etc.). If you know of someone who is eligible, encourage them to participate soon before the spots fill up and they are no longer eligible to participate.
Individuals can complete the SHAPE one-hour survey either on their own online, or with a trained peer interviewer over the phone or in-person at St. Paul’s Hospital. Participants receive a $30 honorarium for their time. The SHAPE online survey can be accessed using this link: http://www.cfenet.ubc.ca/research/SHAPE/participate .
If you have any questions about the project, please send Sarah Kesselring, Research Coordinator an email at [email protected] or call (local) 604-558-6691 or (toll-free) 1-855-506-8615, option 2.