Research consistently demonstrates that stigma poses a significant barrier to recruiting participants for mental health intervention studies. This challenge is especially evident in studies targeting individuals living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), who may experience multiple layers of stigma. The present brief report describes recruitment strategies implemented during the early phase of an ongoing pilot study aimed at developing a web-based intervention for young African American and Latino gay and bisexual men living with HIV who exhibit symptoms of depression. Four primary recruitment methods were employed to identify potential participants within the Los Angeles metropolitan area: social media outreach, participant referrals, direct contact, and recruitment flyers. Preliminary results indicated that recruitment efforts generated 57 responses from potential participants within the first four months of implementation. The monthly response rate represented slightly more than 71\% of the study’s minimum enrollment target. Findings from this initial phase highlight the impact of stigma as a barrier to participant recruitment in mental health research and underscore the need for stigma-sensitive approaches in both depression research and clinical interventions.