The end of HIV in BC?

Medical experts in BC are taking a new approach to reducing the spread of HIV, by testing everyone who has ever been sexually active.

Personally, I think it's refreshing to see a new approach to reducing the spread of HIV. What do you think?

[box]

B.C. aims to end HIV/AIDS with widespread testing

Source: CBC News

Medical experts in B.C. are seeking to have every person in the province who has ever been sexually active tested for HIV/AIDS, saying the initiative could be "the beginning of the end" of the disease.

Key to the strategy is a test that can reveal in less than one minute whether or not someone is HIV-positive, which was demonstrated at a Vancouver medical conference Wednesday.

"Everybody should be tested,” said Ken Buchanan, of the advocacy group Positive Living BC. “Obviously, the people in more high risk situations should be tested more often, but everybody should be tested."

One of the leading experts in the province, Dr. Julio Montaner, says the widespread testing will lead to a very big result.

"Elimination of HIV is possible,” said Montaner, Director of B.C.'s Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.

New data shows that recent initiatives to offer all B.C. hospital patients an AIDS test resulted in one per cent of those tested finding out they're HIV-positive.

Montaner said that extrapolating those statistics to the entire B.C. population could mean there are another 3,500 people in the province who are HIV-positive and don’t yet know it.

A new advertising campaign also revealed at the conference declares that the testing initiative could be "the beginning of the end of HIV."

One goal of the campaign is to counter the fear of an HIV-positive result that scares many away from getting tested.

"HIV still carries a stigma of fear or shame. It doesn’t have the cache or heroism or struggle that's associated with other conditions," said Scott Harrison, Program Director, Urban Health, HIV/AIDS, at Providence Health Care.

But Buchanan noted that more people might be willing to get tested if the process is improved.

"People aren't made aware when they are testing who is going to get that information. And we are also concerned with adequate, pre-test counselling," he said.

Montaner acknowledges that mandatory testing is not an option, but hopes the public will voluntarily join the campaign —especially because 99 per cent of the test results will be negative.

[/box]

Reducing the risk of HIV

You may have already heard that the US FDA has recently approved a new drug to fight the spread of HIV. Clinical trials of Truvada have shown that the drug can be effective in reducing the transmission of HIV. This is, of course, great news in terms of slowing the transmission of the virus.

That said, there are so many factors involved in HIV transmission and prevention, and it's difficult to say exactly how Truvada might actually impact transmission rates. For one, it's expensive, at nearly $14,000 per year. When you consider who is at highest risk for HIV, those people are not likely to have an extra $14k sitting around for this drug. While financial aid is available to those who are HIV+ it is not offered to those testing negative (aka the target market for this drug).

Secondly, trials have shown that it's most effective if taken daily ... and medication compliance isn't exactly a "for sure" thing at the best of times. The article I read stated that even study participants struggled with taking the drug every day. Factor in real life and who knows what the numbers might actually be.

HIV is a complicated virus and has proven to be very good at adapting to its environment ... and becoming resistant to drugs used to treat it. The same could happen with Truvada, if taken by people who are already HIV+. This is yet another potential roadblock. Although people are required to be tested for HIV prior to taking Truvada, there's still the risk of someone being tested before HIV antibodies are detectable in their bloodstream. This means that someone can be taking Truvada but actually be HIV+, which would increase the risk of the virus developing a resistance to Truvada.

Overall, it's a hesitant step, but a step forward nonetheless! Fingers crossed that this drug lives up to its potential and makes a dent in the approximately 50,000 new cases of HIV in the US every year.

[box]

Source:

FDA approves drug to reduce HIV risk (Boston Herald).

Recommended Reads:

Washington Post: FDA approves Gilead Science's Truvada as first drug to reduce risk of sexually acquired HIV

Sex Ed Central: HIV/AIDS

[/box]

Back to the OYC

It has been far too long since I've sat down to enjoy the pleasure of writing. I've missed this!

So, to catch you up on my world ...

Mark and I moved into our new home on Canada Day and have been busy unpacking and settling in. On Friday the house was hit by lightening, which has definitely been a challenging experience. We are now in the process of replacing the luxuries destroyed by the hit ... not to mention anxiously awaiting the repair of our a/c as we hit record temperatures today.

However, this post isn't about our new home (more on that soon!) ... it's about the following announcement:

I am pleased to say that I will be facilitating a workshop tomorrow night at the Orillia Youth Centre. If you haven't been following me for long, you may not know that the OYC is where I "started out" with workshops. I am excited to head back there for some thorough and honest discussion with the youth. We'll be talking about STIs and contraception ... as well as whatever topics come up! If you're in the area, you should stop by and check it out tomorrow (July 18) at 5pm!

I'll let you know how the workshop goes!

Candice :)

Get A Taste For Life!

What are you doing for breakfast, lunch, or dinner today?

If you're cool like me, you will be out supporting your local AIDS Service Organization (ASO) by eating at a restaurant participating in A Taste For Life!

What is A Taste For Life, you ask? Well, it's an annual fundraiser where people like us go out for breakfast/lunch/dinner/dessert/drinks to a participating restaurant, and 25% of our food and drink bill goes to our local ASO. It's a great way to fight HIV/AIDS in your local community.

If you're in the Cambridge/K-W/Guelph area, get out there and support ACCKWA or the AIDS Committee of Guelph. If you're not in the Guelph/Tri-Cities area, get out there and support your local ASO!

Maybe I'll see you there!

:)

 

Condoms and bedsheets

I read this article tonight, and one of the things that struck me was the slippery slope reference made near the end of the article:

"I think the bigger argument, why people are up in arms ... is this the first step?" he says from his office in the hotbed of the debate. "Once you let (officials) into the bedrooms, they'll soon be telling what sheets you should use."

Huh?

The article itself is about the upcoming introduction of condoms into the LA porn industry. As of March 5, adult film actors in LA will be required to use condoms. This measure is being introduced as an effort to promote safety and protect adult film actors from STI infections, such as HIV. (I've written about this before - see "How many HIV infections will it take?").

Opponents of this controversial regulation have expressed concerns equating to the "condoms aren't sexy" argument. Yes, condoms can be pesky ... but how sexy are STIs? I'm not so sure the burn of chlamydia or a lifelong herpes infection are all that sexy, either.

Rhodes and most other producers left it up to performers to choose whether or not to sheath -- Maxine shuns prophylactics -- confident in monthly testing of their stars for sexual infections. He can't see that changing.

Monthly testing is great and all, but what about the 3-6 month waiting period in which HIV is NOT detectable? (Learn more: HIV/AIDS: An Overview).

It will be interesting to see what happens in the LA porn scene after these new regulations take effect. Will a sheath of latex be the end of porn production in LA?

Read the entire article below and don't forget to leave a comment!

- Candice

[box]

It's a wrap: New bylaw demands condoms in L.A.'s Porn Valley

By Thane Burnett, QMI Agency

Scott Rhodes and his wife are ready to pack for a March break in Los Angeles.

The Canadians will remember clean socks and underwear.

Toothbrushes. HD camera. Lotions and lubes. A few sex toys.

"Nothing that looks too out of place for a couple on a romantic, sexy vacation," Rhodes assures of awkward questions from border security.

For the Windsor, Ont.-based adult film producer and his porn star wife, known as Maxine X, it'll actually be all business.

Though perhaps not as usual.

As the filmmakers shoot new sex features in L.A. -- heartland for English triple-X films -- they and other explicit movie producers face controversial new rules.

On March 5, health regulations covering carnal Hollywood -- and all of L.A. -- will require porn actors to wear condoms.

Concerned that viewers don't want a latex divide appearing between them and their video fantasies, opponents to the looming city ordinance believe film companies could pack up and move on.

"The industry has threatened to -- hollow threats I believe -- leave L.A. If so, we'll follow them," says Ged Kenslea, spokesman for Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a group that helped champion the new L.A. bylaw and which intends to extend the edict to other cities.

His group says the requirement will protect actors appearing in 50,000 L.A.-made adult films annually -- as many as 90% of which have no permits -- while sending a message of safe sex to viewers.

"People needed to adjust to wearing a seatbelt and learned to stand outside a restaurant to smoke," he reasons. "I'm not saying it will be easy."

However, some predict the cameras -- and bodies -- may still keeping rolling as they have been.

Rhodes and most other producers left it up to performers to choose whether or not to sheath -- Maxine shuns prophylactics -- confident in monthly testing of their stars for sexual infections. He can't see that changing.

"This is a bit like asking NASCAR drivers to only drive at 55 ... or no body checking in the NHL," says Rhodes, adding in frustration: "It's a buzz kill."

He wonders whether it will force productions underground -- ignoring safeguards -- or perhaps move to countries like Canada. But pretty bodies and support staff are abundant in L.A., and one of the only other states where adult film production has been cleared under anti-prostitution laws is New Hampshire.

Jason E. Squire, professor of cinema practice at the University of Southern California, is guarded about the impact.

"The question of what happens after March 5 is a wild card," is as far as he will go.

But Brad Armstrong is sure it shouldn't have gotten this far.

The Toronto-born adult film actor and director works for L.A.-based Wicked Pictures, one of the companies that dominate the industry.

For more than a decade, after early AIDS scares in the industry, Wicked made condoms mandatory.

The city ordinance now levels the playing field, but still, Armstrong's not happy, saying it will bring profit margins down for other producers.

"I think the bigger argument, why people are up in arms ... is this the first step?" he says from his office in the hotbed of the debate. "Once you let (officials) into the bedrooms, they'll soon be telling what sheets you should use."

As for Rhodes, he's not worried about the sheets, scripts or sex toys.

But he's now packing lots of condoms.

Source: Ifpress.com

[/box]

ACCKWA Online Charity Auction

Hey folks!

As you may know, I volunteer at ACCKWA - the AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area.  ACCKWA is busy doing lots of great stuff for our community, including educational workshops, advocacy and outreach to people at risk of or affected by HIV/AIDS.

Starting TODAY (NOVEMBER 1) through to NOVEMBER 9, ACCKWA is hosting their annual ONLINE CHARITY AUCTION. This auction helps to raise valuable funds to support ACCKWA in serving our community.

Take a few minutes to check out the items, and maybe bid on a few yourself! Simply go to Ebay and search for "ACCKWA". Place your bid and check back daily to see if you're still in the lead!

Let's raise money for a great organization!

Candice :)

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says "no" once again ...

I don't get it.  Toronto is Canada's largest city, and also one of the most diverse and multicultural ... and yet this guy is Mayor?

Mayor Rob Ford doesn't seem to vote "yes" to much when it comes to supporting diverse communities, offering social services and programs, or providing education and resources to help prevent the spread of deadly disease. He votes against programs for the elderly, disabled, LGBTQ and immigrant communities, to name a few. Fortunately, his closed-minded stand on important programs and services has left him standing on the opposite side to most!

"In a stunning 37 to one vote at the very end of the day on July 13, Ford said no to budgeted funding for the AIDS Prevention Community Investment Program (APCIP), a program that reaches
more than 250,000 people through outreach and workshops." (xtra.ca)

As someone who has been and continues to be involved with AIDS service organizations, I have seen first hand the impact that education and outreach programming can have on reducing the stigma, as well as the spread, of HIV/AIDS. These programs run on barely-there budgets as it is, and cutting their funding will only lead to increased costs associated with the fully preventable spread of a deadly disease.

HIV is much cheaper to prevent than it is to treat!

Read the full article here and let me know what you think!

- Candice

 

 

What's in a name?

As you may be aware, I am involved with the AIDS Committee of Simcoe County.  As a result, my knowledge of what's happening in the HIV/AIDS community has increased substantially.  And since the educator in me is ... well ... pretty much all of me, I'd like to share some of my knowledge with you!



So, I want to pose a question to you ... feel free to respond by leaving a comment or sending an email.  If you don't want to respond that's fine, just give it some thought ...

What comes to mind when you hear the word AIDS?

For me, I think of an illness resulting from an incurable and fully preventable infection.  I think of the people I educate who are at risk of becoming infected, and may not even realize it.  And I think of the unfortunate and damaging stigma that has been ingrained into our subconscious minds since the early 1980's.

It's this stigma that I want to talk about in this post, and this stigma that I want you to think about while you're reading it.  There are so many misconceptions and misunderstandings related to HIV and AIDS that people are hesitant to associate themselves with organizations such as the AIDS Committee of Simcoe County (ACSC).  I read an article today that really speaks to this issue, which I want to share with you.  The message of the article is that the acronym AIDS is so heavily stigmatized that some ASO's (AIDS Service Organizations) in Vancouver are considering changing their names and removing AIDS [from their names] entirely.

You can find the article here: AIDS groups remove 'AIDS' from their names

I would really like to hear your thoughts about this!  Feel free to email me or post a comment.

Thanks for reading,

Candice

Governmental HIV/AIDS funding is not enough ...

Until about a year ago, I hadn't given too much thought to HIV/AIDS.  Yes, I had discussed the topic in a general sense and I knew the basics, but I definitely wouldn't have counted myself as an "expert".

I'm still nowhere near to an expert on the topic, but I have learned a great deal in the past year.  As a member of the Board of Directors for the AIDS Committee of Simcoe County, you could say that the issue is much more near and dear to me than it ever was in the past.

HIV/AIDS is a very real issue in Canada; Canadian youth under 29, women and seniors are contracting HIV more than ever before.  The stats speak for themselves:

• Almost 26% of all positive HIV tests in Canada from 1984-2007 were from people under the age of 29

• Females account for 40.9% of positive HIV tests among youth 15-29 years old

• A national study found that approximately 50% to 60% of grade 9 and 11 students think there is a vaccine available to prevent HIV/AIDS

• The same survey found that 36% of grade 11 students think that there is a cure for HIV/AIDS

(Source: K. Cooper, Manager of Community Services - ACSC, October 2010).

Factor in multiple strains of HIV, low rates of condom usage and engagement in risky behaviour (including high-risk drug use) and you've got a breeding ground for HIV/AIDS transmission.  It truly is an epidemic.

The AIDS Committee of Simcoe County is just one of many "ASO's" - AIDS Service Organizations.  The ACSC provides direct support to those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, as well as education, prevention and outreach programs throughout Simcoe County.  Three hard-working staff serve this entire area, attempting to meet the needs of a diverse population with very limited resources.  The unfortunate reality is that governmental funding to ASO's continues to fall far short of the need.

Please take a moment to read this news article, posted this past Wednesday, in "Xtra".  It's an issue well worth learning about.

Federal HIV/AIDS funding falls short

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to email me.

Thanks for reading,

Candice

Let's make this FUN!

Another workshop tonight, complete with guest speaker and warm fuzzies!

[caption id="attachment_215" align="alignleft" width="137" caption="HIV/AIDS Ribbon"][/caption]

This time I started the workshop with the activity, rather than saving it until the end.  I learned pretty quickly that if I ever switch things around like that again, it would be a good idea to plan another activity for the end of the session as well.  Tonight was the first time that I have received requests for more games and activities, and I will be sure to follow through on that!  After all, the activities and games are my favourite part as well!

My guest speaker tonight was Karyn, Manager of Community Services at the AIDS Committee of Simcoe County (ACSC) and one of my placement supervisors.  It was great to have her knowledge and expertise and the youth had plenty of excellent questions.  I am so proud of the progress that the youth have learned so much and have made so much progress.  I think that it was very wise to begin the workshop with the hands-on topics, such as anatomy, contraception and STIs and save the personal stuff for the later weeks.  Next week I am discussing relationships and healthy decision making.  The rest of the workshop is much more person-oriented rather than activity-oriented, although I am always open to any questions that may come up!

As always, thank you for your support!

Did you know ... ?

Did you know that there are multiple strains of the HIV virus, and that a person can become infected with more than one strain?  Until recently, I did not know that.  I, like many, thought that there was one HIV virus and that once you had HIV, that was that.  Another question ... Did you know that the average time between a person contracting HIV and developing AIDS is more than 10 years?  I'd say that is pretty awesome ... HIV no longer has to be the immediate death sentence that has been ingrained into our minds.

As you may have figured out, next week's topic is HIV/AIDS.  I have a guest speaker coming in to assist; she knows a great deal about HIV/AIDS and I think it will be good for the youth to see that there is someone out there who can help them with any HIV/AIDS related questions or issues.  It's part of my goal to provide hands-on information and resources, and sometimes "resources" means offering up the knowledge that "there's someone I can talk to if I ever need to".

One more question ... Did you know that you can subscribe to my website and receive notifications whenever I post new content?  You can do this in a couple of ways:

1) on the "Blog" page, simply enter your email address and click "subscribe"

2) below ANY blog post, click "share the love" and then "subscribe".  This takes you to the RSS feed, which is simply a list of every post I have made on this website.

As well, please "Share the Love" and spread the word about my site!  Your support makes a world of difference with what I'm trying to do!

Thanks,

Candice

STIs, anyone?

This week's session: An Intro to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

Oh the joys of STIs ... you may think I'm strange, but I really enjoy talking about STIs.  Well, I enjoy talking about pretty much ANYTHING related to sexuality or sexual health, but STIs are just plain fun!  They're icky, nasty, and just plain yuck and yet they are completely avoidable and preventable!

And that, my friends, is what I like about them.  I like being able to tell a young person that they can take control and they can protect themselves from this icky nastiness.

Now before I get too far, I want to clear something up:  In no way, shape or form am I putting down anyone who has ever contracted an STI; nor am I making any sort of statement or judgement regarding having STIs.  My emphasis is on the fact that, from a harm reduction standpoint, STIs are a way to give a visual and descriptive (and hopefully, ickifying) reminder of a person's ability to take steps to protect him/herself.

I'm not going to get into the facts and figures in this post ... my blog is just that - a blog - and I'll save the statistics for another page (more content coming soon!  keep checking!).  I am, however, going to tell you that this week's session was AWESOME, that I had 14 youth (yay!!), and that I know that some of them are already excited about next week!  So I am thrilled and, of course, very excited (are you surprised?).

I learned something very important this week: it's a good idea to have several "levels of difficulty" with the jeopardy-like questions I use in my activities ... cuz these youth were way too smart for the ones I had made up!  Time to take it up a notch!

Questions?  Email me!  Comments?  Write one here, or email me!  There's now a "contact" page and you can use that to send me an email, OR write to candice@sexedcentral.com

I can't wait to hear from you!!!

Candice :)

p.s. Don't forget to "Share the Love" below!!!

The path to sex ed is long and convoluted ...

When I decided to go back to school for Child and Youth Work (go Georgian College!), I didn't really think too much about my human sexuality related ambitions. After graduating from U of G, I had briefly considered doing an MSc in Human Sexuality but decided that research wasn't really my thing ... I prefer to get "in there" and connect with people, and CYW seemed a great way to do that.

Jump ahead to April 2009, at which point I found myself on placement at a really great elementary school in the Orillia/Barrie area. My supervisor gave me the freedom to schedule my time however was best suited to everyone involved, and also gave me the opportunity to pursue what I REALLY wanted to do. At that point I began offering to teach sex ed to the seventh and eight grade students at the school - and all of the teachers went for it! Needless to say, I loved every moment of it and learned more than I had ever anticipated.

Fast forward a few more months, to September 2009. Although I was only anticipating completing my second (six week) placement in the upcoming spring, I was determined to make it the best placement I possibly could. A few revisions and suggestions later, I found myself planning instead for my final 400 hour placement, which was even better! I started phoning and emailing and visiting agencies in the area, offering to do sex-ed outreach, to teach, to run a workshop ... whatever they needed and wanted! At first I didn't have too much success ... I quickly discovered that Simcoe county is rather conservative in many ways, and doesn't offer much in terms of sexual health resources to youth. Even an offer of free labour and an independent student wasn't enough to entice!

My luck turned around when I was referred by one of my fabulous teachers to the Orillia Youth Centre. Kevin quickly agreed to take me on as a student and let me develop, implement, and evaluate my own workshop. He offered me free reign to do as I pleased ... topics, content, guest speakers, activities ... it was all up to me! At that point I was ecstatic, though I was still looking for a second agency to partner with; my ultimate goal was a split placement with an agency whose name and affiliation could benefit me in the long run.

On January 8 I was attending a Leadership Conference at the Georgian campus in Barrie, where I noticed that one of the agencies attending the "networking lunch" was the AIDS Committee of Simcoe County. I introduced myself and explained what I was trying to do, and my ultimate goal of having a "split placement" with an organization such as the ACSC and the OYC. Karyn immediately agreed and said that a split placement would suit her perfectly. If I had been ecstatic before, now I was bursting with excitement!

Now that I had both of my placement supervisors arranged, I started to think about everything involved with planning and running a sex-ed workshop. Of several things I was certain: that I would be working 95% independently, that I wanted to give myself lots of time to plan the workshop, and that I wanted more than 8 weeks to run it. I talked to a few people, did a little self-advocating, and within a few days I had made the arrangements to start my placement two months early, on a part-time basis. I officially began my placement on February 8, 2010.

Though nowhere near over yet, this journey has taught me a great deal. I have realized, among other things, that I am a strong advocate for myself as well as others. I've learned that if I am determined to make something happen, I can do it! And now, as the workshop really gets going, I'm learning that I'm a pretty good sexual health educator as well!

Let's hear it for comprehensive sex ed! :)