Positive forces for care: understanding what drives HIV care uptake among African, Caribbean and black women living with HIV in Winnipeg, Manitoba

African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) women face enduring socio-structural inequities, yet research on what positively influences their engagement in the HIV care continuum is limited. This community-based qualitative study, conducted in collaboration with HIV-focused clinics, involved 10-ACB women living with HIV and 12 care staff in Winnipeg. Guided by critical-race and feminist theories, intersectionality, and constructivist grounded theory, semi-structured interviews explored positive coping and what facilitates the ability of ACB women living with HIV in Winnipeg to commit to care, build resilience, and thrive despite adversity or trauma. Although care staff were interviewed, their findings will be report ed elsewhere. ACB women expressed a strong commitment to care and acceptance of their HIV status that shaped care use. Women were more motivated to seek care when treated with dignity, supported by respectful, non-judgmental, and emotionally attuned providers, and reinforced by positive social connections. Clinics were perceived as safe spaces for accessing treatment, promoting care uptake and contributing to improved health and overall well-being. The study advances understanding of resilience among ACB women with HIV in Winnipeg and calls for holistic, empathetic, and non-judgmental care. Policy and social interventions should promote emotional well-being, social connectedness, self-acceptance, and sustained engagement in HIV care.