The People Living with PLHIV Stigma Index documents how people have experienced HIV-related stigma and how they have been able to challenge and overcome stigma and discrimination relating to HIV. People living with HIV receive training in quantitative data collection, and implement the survey using a standard questionnaire which covers the following 10 areas:

• Experiences of stigma and discrimination and their causes
• Access to work and services
• Internal stigma
• Rights, laws and policies
• Effecting change
• HIV testing
• Disclosure and confidentiality
• Treatment
• Having children
• Problems and challenges for people living with HIV

The People Living with HIV Stigma Index puts the principle of the greater involvement of people living with HIV and AIDS (GIPA) into practice, the research is driven by people living with HIV and their networks and provides them with evidence and opportunity to address challenges in their communities and catalyze change.

The findings are instrumental in increasing collective understandings of stigma and discrimination, and detecting changes and trends over time. The evidence has shaped future programmatic interventions by revealing areas of need and gaps in existing programming. The People Living with HIV Stigma Index is a powerful advocacy tool which will influence policy and support the collective goal of governments, NGOs and activists to reduce stigma and discrimination related to HIV.  

The People Living with HIV Stigma Index has been rolled out in more than 40 countries, where it has been a catalyst for fostering change. Each country is different, from the number of people interviewed to the composition of responses from different group (such as men who have sex with men, sex workers, injecting drug users and other key populations). 

The People Living with HIV Stigma Index was developed and pioneered by a partnership between the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and the Global Network of People Living with HIV(GNP+), the International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).