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

Newsworthy Sex - Vol 1: Sex education in the schools

We are bombarded by sex every day.  All we have to do is turn on the tv, listen to the radio, flip through a magazine ... you get the picture.  Unfortunately, most of the sex we see and hear about is unrealistic, scandalous, or even downright ridiculous.

So, I'm on the hunt for real, newsworthy sex.

Today, I am featuring a fascinating video clip from CBC Archives, entitled "Sex education in the schools".  This Canadian clip was aired on Oct. 23, 1969.  The clip is over 26 minutes long and very informative.

I find it fascinating that so many issues we're struggling with now - what to teach kids about sex in schools, how young is too young, whether this kind of education is appropriate, and whether to even teach sex ed in schools - are the issues discussed in this clip over 40 years ago.

This clip features teachers, parents and children, voicing a number of opinions about the concept of sex education in schools.  You can find the clip here - enjoy!

*Did you know?


• Sex education in the schools became a hot topic in Canada around 1967. According to the Globe and Mail, an Ontario legislative committee on youth that year recommended a curriculum consisting of "family living; planned parenthood; morals and sex in our culture; the sex act and the reproductive process; contraception; venereal diseases; the psychological and emotional implications of sex."

• Others in the education system were vehemently opposed to teaching about sex in the schools. In 1969, the Globe and Mail reported on a Toronto trustee who appeared at a school board meeting to denounce the concept as "a Communist plot."

Source: Sex education in the schools. The CBC Digital Archives Website.  Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.  Last updated: July 9, 2008.  http://archives.cbc.ca/society/education/clips/15389/

Reading is sexy! Sex and 2010 ...

While catching up on some sexuality-related reading, I came across an article entitled The year in sex 2010, and the Brazilian wax.

The article is featured on SexualityToday; it is written by Stephen Snyder, M.D., a NYC sex and couples therapist, psychiatrist and writer.  This article provides an excellent and thorough overview of the biggest sex topics of 2010.  Promiscuity and monogamy, "pink Viagra" and Dan Savage's "It Gets Better Project" are all well worth reading about.

I encourage you to take a look and let me know what you think.

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

Resources are sexy!

I have been working on building up a great "Resources" page - so be sure to check it out!  For the most part, I have carefully selected resources which I believe to be professional, accurate and informative.

That said, some of the resources - and particularly those under the "Blogs" heading - are personal blogs regarding sex and sexuality.  Please do not view these if you find them to be offensive, inappropriate or otherwise undesirable.  I have selected these blogs because I find them to be interesting, informative or otherwise entertaining.

New to the Resources page is a section entitled "Toys and Pleasure".  At the moment, it is limited to Come as You Are (CAYA), although I will be adding more links over time.

Please send me an email if you have suggestions or resources you think would be a good addition to my directory.  And as always, thanks for your support!

Candice :)

Pepsi Refresh!

I've submitted an application for a Pepsi Refresh Grant, and I need you to vote for my idea!

The Pepsi Refresh project asks people like ME to submit their ideas for helping their communities.  I am asking you to vote for me to win $5,000 to offer sex ed to at-risk and street involved youth.

Deliverables:

• Youth have the knowledge to make informed, healthy sexual decisions


• Youth have access to accurate sexual health information in a youth-friendly setting


• Youth are better equipped to negotiate sexual decisions with their partner(s)


• Youth have increased awareness of STIs, including HIV, and how to avoid them


• The only such program available to youth in Orillia, Ontario

YOU can vote for me every day between now and February 28.  The top 4 ideas in my category will win $5,000 each.

Please vote for me!  Thank you for your support!

Candice :)

A little holiday Glee!

If you're a Gleek like me, you know that Glee is quickly making its mark as a popular and progressive television show.   The show portrays the lives, struggles and triumphs of a group of youth in an American high school.  The best descriptor I can think of for the cast is diversity.  Glee transcends a number of invisible barriers simply by existing  - racism, sexism, ableism, classism, ageism and heterosexism are all challenged within this show, and it continues to gain popularity.  I love it!

Over recent weeks, Glee has increasingly featured the struggles of Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer) - an openly gay teen in a high school environment riddled with homophobia and bullying.  Over the course of this season, Kurt has struggled with his identity as the only openly gay student at a high school where diversity is challenged - and often crushed - with prejudice and violence.  Fortunately, Kurt is a strong, self-advocating individual with a determination to be himself, regardless of what the rest of the world expects of him.

In the episode A Very Glee Christmas, Kurt and his love interest Blaine (Darren Criss) are featured in a duet performance of "Baby it's Cold Outside".  I've watched the video of this performance many times and I wanted to share it with you.  To me, this budding television relationship represents a huge step beyond homophobia.   This show has the ability to inspire hope in many young people, and it is my wish that our society - and especially our youth - continue to embrace the diversity of Glee.  As for myself, Tuesday nights are definitely reserved for Glee!



Happy Holidays!

Candice