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The WCHC Pocketbook
An innovative tool for women and gender diverse people living with HIV in Canada that puts the power of health self-advocacy right in your hands (and pockets!)
The Pocketbook is made up of 6 sections, each designed after one of the components of the Women-Centred HIV Care (WCHC) Model. Each section contains 3 elements:
Summary of Key Points from the Section
Reflective Exercises to Do or Practice
Example Phrases to use with Providers
What is it?
The Women-Centred HIV Care (WCHC) Pocketbook is an evidence-based patient-provider communication tool designed after the WCHC Model. The Pocketbook is now available across Canada for free printing & shipping by CATIE!
The Pocketbook was designed to:
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Support health self-advocacy in women and gender diverse people living with HIV
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Improve patient-provider communication in health care settings
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Guide holistic, person-centred HIV care
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Support uptake of the WCHC Model in a more visually-engaging fashion
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Click to download a PDF of the WCHC Pocketbook
The cover of the Pocketbook was designed to be inviting yet discrete, easing concerns about unintentional disclosure.
Order Now in English & French!
Thank you CATIE!
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The WCHC Hub has partnered with CATIE to expand accessibility of the WCHC Pocketbook. CATIE has supported the Hub in translating the Pocketbook content to French, as well as facilitating its printing and national distribution using their digital ordering centre.
Order your own free copy of the WCHC Pocketbook now, no matter where you are in Canada! ​​
The Design Process
Identifying the Need
Many women and gender diverse people living with HIV understand
their health needs, but struggle to articulate them in clinical settings
Stakeholder Consultations
Two rounds of consultations were
held with key stakeholders to
inform, develop, and revise a
prototype of the WCHC Pocketbook
Implementation
After soft launches of the Pocketbook
in women's groups and in-clinic, the WCHC Pocketbook is undergoing a provincial implementation project
Research with the Pocketbook
The Pocketbook is involved in past and ongoing research projects. In its prototype phase, the WCHC Pocketbook was developed with feedback from women and gender diverse people living with HIV, as well as their providers, through semi-structured qualitative interviews. These interviews also provided important insight into potential implementation barriers and facilitators for the Pocketbook.
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Learn more about revision of and implementation preparation for the WCHC Pocketbook in our recent paper (April 2026)!
Interested in learning more about the Women-Centred HIV Care (WCHC) Model at the foundation of this work? Read our paper on the development of the Model, including evidence-based rationale for each component of the traditional house model.
Pocketbook Events
Preliminary Launch: AIDS 2026
The WCHC Hub partnered with the global AIDS Youth Force and AIDS Committee of Durham Region (ACDR) to host the Youth Pavilion at AIDS 2026. At the Youth Innovation Showcase, Ontario Sub-Hub Co-Lead, Asha Ulusow, presented the Pocketbook to international community leaders and scholars - sparking global interest and involvement in the project!
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The Pocketbook received an incredibly warm response for its intuitive and fun design, versatile uses in health care settings, bilingual distribution, and community-based development.
WHAI Lunch & Learn (June 2025)
In this presentation, Dr. Mona Loutfy and the Ontario Sub-Hub share details about the WCHC Pocketbook and an upcoming implementation project for the tool.​
Watch now to learn more about the WCHC Pocketbook and how women's health coordinators / advocates (e.g. WHAI workers) can use the Pocketbook through live role-playing examples!​
Our Partners
