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COVID-19

COVID-19 Shifts HIV Peer Support Programs to Digital Platforms

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

COVID-19 forced community-based peer support programs in Australia to rapidly adapt to digital service delivery, with challenges and opportunities arising from this shift. Research by Australian investigators highlighted the impact of moving to digital service delivery on how peer support programs were delivered and the effects on peer support workers. Financial support for the research came from the University of New South Wales. The study identified three overarching themes: challenges with rapidly shifting to online service delivery, diminished opportunities for informal support between peer workers, and new opportunities for engaging potential clients who may have previously had difficulties in accessing HIV support services.

Key Takeaways:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic led to a rapid shift in the delivery of community-based peer support programs in Australia, with programs moving from in-person to digital platforms.
  • This shift presented challenges, including limitations on informal interactions between participants and difficulties with accessing technology and telecommunication infrastructure.
  • Peer support workers experienced strain from adjusting to a new and unfamiliar working environment, with diminished opportunities for informal support from colleagues.
  • The shift to digital service delivery created new opportunities for engaging potential clients who may have previously had difficulties accessing HIV support services.
  • The research highlights the need for careful consideration to address barriers specific to digital service delivery, particularly regarding participant privacy and access to technology and infrastructure.
  • The study involved 17 peer support workers and 4 volunteers from community-based HIV and LGBTQ+ health organizations, with semi-structured interviews conducted between May and September 2020.
  • The Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society conducted the research, with support from the University of New South Wales.

Statistics:

  • 21 individuals participated in the research, including 17 peer support workers and 4 volunteers (Source: AIDS and Behavior, 2025).
  • Interviews were conducted between May and September 2020 (Source: AIDS and Behavior, 2025).
  • 3 overwhelming themes emerged from the research: challenges with shifting to online service delivery, diminished opportunities for informal support, and new opportunities for engaging potential clients (Source: AIDS and Behavior, 2025).
  • The research noted a lack of access to appropriate technology and telecommunication infrastructure as a barrier to digital service delivery (Source: AIDS and Behavior, 2025).
  • The study concluded that careful consideration is needed to address these barriers and ensure the effective delivery of HIV peer support services (Source: AIDS and Behavior, 2025).

Sources:

  • Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society.
  • University of New South Wales.
  • AIDS and Behavior, 2025, "Moving from In-Person to Digital Delivery Models of HIV Peer Support Services in Response to COVID-19: A Qualitative Study".
  • NewsRx, 2025, "Findings from Australian Research Centre in Sex Provides New Data on HIV/AIDS (Moving from In-Person to Digital Delivery Models of HIV Peer Support Services in Response to COVID-19: A Qualitative Study)".

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