HIV services in rural and remote communities

Key take-home messages

• People with or at risk of HIV who live in rural communities face complex challenges accessing services, including stigma, lack of services, transportation issues and some population-specific barriers.
• The lack of skilled HIV services — physicians, infectious disease specialists and mental health professionals — in rural communities is a barrier to good care and information.
• Each rural area has its own challenges, needs and resources so there is no “one size fits all” practice for administering HIV services.
• Best practices include interventions that address stigma, reduce social isolation, build skills and improve access to services.
• Technology-based interventions — including telemedicine, internet-based support programs and telephone-based therapeutic intervention — can help overcome barriers to care in rural settings, including stigma, concerns about confidentiality, transportation costs and lack of services.
• Collaboration among agencies/services within rural communities to form networks of cooperation that can reduce duplication of efforts, integrate services, influence policies, and address community health holistically.

• Determinants of Health
  • Social support
  • Stigma/discrimination
• Population(s)
  • Men who have sex with men
  • Women
  • Other
• Engagement and Care Cascade
  • Treatment
• Health Systems
  • Delivery arrangements