EMPATHY MAPPING. Empathy mapping is a quick exercise that can help you start to see the world and HIVST from an intended user’s perspective. Start by selecting a specific priority population (e.g., MSM or postpartum women in high HIV burden settings). Then, sit down with other members of your team who have worked with that priority population before, and — based on what you know — fill out a chart like the one below, describing what the target user sees, hears, thinks and feels and says and does related to HIVST. By viewing our intended users’ world in these terms, we can get a clearer sense of the challenges they face related to HIV testing and the messages they might need to receive before adopting HIVST. Empathy mapping is supposed to be a quick exercise, which you can complete in one sitting. If, Figure 10. Graphic representation of the empathy mapping process For example: MSM POSTPARTUM WOMEN Sees Partners and acquaintances testing positive for HIV. Friends having relationship problems during pregnancy. Hears Homophobic messages from the culture around him, including friends and family. Warnings from her doctors about elevated HIV risks. Thinks and Feels Feels concerned about his HIV status. Feels pressured to have sex with her partner. Says and Does Avoids testing for fear of stigma. Has unprotected sex with her partner during pregnancy. when attempting to develop an empathy map, you find that you don’t know your intended users well enough to imagine yourself in their situation, then you might need to do some research or recruit team members with more experience working with the group in question.
