The amount of emotional and social support has been clearly liked to physical and psychological outcomes of treatment. Women's gendered life experiences may affect their experience of having HIV/AIDS, their needs for emotional and social support, and their ability to access informal and formal care. Unfortunately we have little information about how well our current systems are addressing women's needs, and how services might be improved. In particular, the needs of women who are from countries where HIV is endemic and how they navigate through our current system are poorly understood.

As part of her research activities at St. Michael's Hospital, newly recruited WCRI researcher Dr. Julie Maggi worked with Dr. Mark Halman and Dr. Tamara Daly (York University) on a study of the community support services available to women living with HIV. The first phase of this study, already near completion, examined this issue from the perspective of women with HIV. With Women's College as a new research partner, a second phase of the study will interview women who are using voluntary AIDS service organizations as well as activists, service providers, and policy-makers about access and availability of emotional and social support services for women with HIV/AIDS living in Toronto.

Women living with HIV who are immigrants, refugees or without legal status in Canada face complex barriers in accessing mental health support and services related to their status as newcomers and PHAs. Dr. Maggi is also working with the research team at the Committee for Accessible AIDS Treatment conducting a two-phase, six-component study that will involve knowledge building and transfer from both service users and providers, capacity building in affected communities, identification and development of best practice models, training curriculum and policy recommendations.