Communication and advocacy

In order for the index to be useful, -that is, for the perspectives of people living with HIV to inform policy and programme responses to address stigma and discrimination related to HIV-people need to know about the findings and analysis of the research!

Ideally, the research team should present their findings to local networks of people living with HIV that were key partners in the research process. Many of the interviewees will be interested to hear about how their individual experiences compare with the bigger picture. Following this initial process of feedback, the research team should consider the best way to record and share the overall findings with a wider audience.

Some things to consider when thinking about communicating findings from your research:

  • What are the key findings from the research? Who should know about them?
  • What is the best way to communicate the findings? For example is a report the best way, or would a meeting be more effective? If a report is the best way, who should write it? Who will read it? And what language, tone, style will be most appropriate?
  • If you decide a meeting is the best way to communicate the findings, who should you invite? Is a group discussion appropriate; or would a one to one meeting be better? And where is the best place to hold the meeting so that everyone can engage in the discussion?
  • Be creative! When communicating the research findings try to think of a way that will be effective, accurate and also attention grabbing.

IPPF, UNAIDS, GNP+ and ICW will be consolidating the research findings to share with key stakeholders and decision-makers working or living within the communities in which the survey was conducted. In this way, the experiences of people living with HIV within the country or within specific communities will be highlighted and contribute to informing locally relevant policy and practice to address stigma and discrimination.

Systems are being developed to store data collected that is coordinated by IPPF, UNAIDS, GNP+ and ICW. However we also hope that the People Living with HIV Stigma Index questionnaire, User Guide and accompanying training tools will be taken up beyond the scope of the partnership. Please adapt and adopt these resources according to your needs-let us know if you like, we would be interested to hear about your experiences.