“…Peer support programs can act as a bridge between PLHIV and healthcare systems (Davis et al, 2017 ; Khalpey et al, 2021 ; Koester et al, 2014 ; Ogier et al, 2020 ), increase treatment uptake, adherence and retention in care (Berg et al, 2021 ; Cunningham et al, 2018 ; Waldrop‐Valverde et al, 2014 ) and decrease HIV risk behaviours (Prestage et al, 2016 ). These programs can also build resilience among PLHIV to reduce the impact of HIV stigma (Chan & Mak, 2021 ; Hussen et al, 2021 ) and establish social connections between PLHIV (Davis et al, 2017 ; Khalpey et al, 2021 ). Peers are often members of the same communities as those they support, have experiential knowledge of living with HIV (Berg et al, 2021 ; Ogier et al, 2020 ; Peterson et al, 2012 ), and can offer recently diagnosed PLHIV unique perspectives that clinically based healthcare workers are often unable to provide (Barker & Maguire, 2017 ; Davis et al, 2017 ; Fisher et al, 2018 ; Koester et al, 2014 ; Newman et al, 2015 ; Peterson et al, 2012 ).…”