Corie Gray 

Research project

Corie Gray is a doctoral research candidate with CERIPH. Her PhD project, Srikandi has involved working with priority migrant communities to co-design an intervention to increase HIV testing using participatory action research methodology. 

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The context: In the last decade, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) notifications in Australia have been increasing among people born overseas, predominately from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Southeast Asia (SEA). Women from SEA are often diagnosed late, meaning they have lived with the virus for four or more years before diagnosis. In comparison, less than a third of Australian-born women have a late diagnosis. Late HIV diagnosis increases the risk of onwards HIV transmission, likelihood of subsequent morbidity and mortality and increases health care costs.

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Project overview: This project is designing an intervention to increase HIV testing uptake among women from Indonesia. It involves community researchers, representatives from relevant organisations and community women born in Indonesia. Three PAR cycles will be conducted in this project. Phase one will use focus groups to understand enablers for HIV testing among community members. In phase two, the focus group data will be presented back to members of the participating communities who will be invited to co-design an intervention to increase HIV testing. In the final cycle, the intervention will be implemented and evaluated. 

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Project objectives:

• Identify and assess the pathways and enablers to HIV testing among women from Indonesia.

• Record and synthesis the use of co-design process in developing an intervention.

• Determine the critical elements of a co-designed intervention to increase HIV testing uptake among women from Indonesia.

• Implement and evaluate a co-designed intervention to increase HIV testing uptake among women from Indonesia.

• Review the utility of a participatory action research approach in addressing HIV with women from Indonesia.

• Synthesise findings of the intervention and provide recommendations on appropriate strategies to prevent and manage HIV among women from Indonesia.

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Progress: Corie has completed the bulk of her research and passed Milestone 3. She is currently finalising a manuscript and her thesis for submission.