The STOP HIV/AIDS® Program Evaluation (SHAPE) study was a longitudinal cohort study of people living with HIV across all health authorities in British Columbia. The SHAPE study first launched in 2016 in order to characterize healthcare experiences and outcomes among people living with HIV, as well as characterize retention across the cascade of care for HIV.

The ‘first phase’ of the SHAPE study wrapped in September 2021, which captured the experiences of 644 people living with HIV across BC. We continue to share research findings from SHAPE, with both academic and community audiences, and have brought back our findings to partnering sites across the province. To read more about the first wave of SHAPE, please find our publications and knowledge translation outputs at the bottom of this page under Publications, Posters, and Presentations or by going to https://bccfe.ca/epidemiology-population-health/shape/#posters-and-presentations.

In 2024 investigators at the BC CfE and all health authorities in BC are launching a new phase of the SHAPE study (SHAPE 2.0). Through community engagement and guidance from the SHAPE steering committee, we have heard that the priorities, concerns and realities of PLWH across BC has dramatically changed since the start of the provincial STOP HIV/AIDS® strategy more than a decade ago. While HIV treatment has had clear success in improving HIV-related morbidity and mortality, there is an ongoing need to understand the quality of healthcare, as well as the health priorities and experiences of PLWH in order to adapt and improve our health services. The changing landscape of HIV services, aging, mental health and substance use, and chronic comorbidities that are uniquely impacting PLWH is the focus of this new phase of the SHAPE study.