*If you would like to request a viewing of this short film, please contact VPWAS at support@vpwas.org or 250.382.7927* “Circle of Strength” – a film created to carry a message to youth who may be affected by or experiencing stigma. Through powerful interviews and storytelling, the film showcases lived experiences of HIV stigma, homophobia and transphobia. Directed and Produced by Martin M. of the Vancouver Island PWA Society (VPWAS) This project was made possible by a grant from Resist Stigma […]
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It was at the Canadian Aids Society’s Pozitive Youth forum in 2015 when Piotr Burek, one of the organizers of Youth Unleashing Power: A Pozitive Youth Symposium (YUP), met a positive person from his generation for the very first time. For seven years since he tested positive, he had not had the opportunity to meet a positive peer his age. The empowering feelings of connecting with peers at the forum, something he yearned to experience for years, was one of […]
Read more →From the Ocean to the Island “A comforting wreckage” “My name is John (name has been changed for privacy) and I have been diagnosed with HIV since 1986”. This was the bulk of my introductory email sent to Michael Yoder, liaison at the Pozitively Connected support group in Victoria. Little that I knew what I would get in return for being forthcoming about my status and blindly reaching out for support. Yes, I have survived the 80’s and the 90’s, but […]
Read more →Laws around HIV disclosure are often complicated and may seem confusing. This resource page from the Pacific AIDS Network (PAN) is intended to bring together in one place current resources that clearly outline the laws, rights and responsibilities for people living with HIV in Canada. As you will see, the resources found here are tailored to various audiences from people living with HIV, to service providers, lawyers and policy makers. Resources vary from brochures presenting specific information, to opinion pieces, […]
Read more →WORLD AIDS DAY 2015 World AIDS Day is held on 1 December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day and the first one was held in 1988. Around 71,300 are currently living with HIV in Canada and globally an estimated 34 million people have HIV. More than 25 […]
Read more →On October 1st, Island Health announced that HIV testing will be offered to all patients at the Port Alberni Hospital and will be expanded to other facilities on the island throughout the next year. Island Health Press Release: Knowing is Better: Routine HIV testing to be offered to all patients admitted to hospital in Port Alberni There is little doubt that increased testing benefits both individuals being tested and the community at large. Knowing ones status is not only beneficial […]
Read more →Sensational headlines entice readers but too often tell an incomplete story that only serves to perpetuate negative stereotypes. This is frequently the case when people living with HIV navigate the criminal justice system in HIV non-disclosure cases only to see their faces splashed across media channels, adding to the public fear and stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. Most prosecutions are against men, but for women living with HIV, the very justice system that was set up to protect women by criminalizing […]
Read more →Download the poster and share with your contacts: Men’s Journaling Group
Read more →Positive Women’s Support We offer a female identified space at VPWAS office between 3pm and 5pm on the 3rd Friday of every month. This month on Friday April 24. Peer support by, with and for women living with HIV and HCV creates an enabling environment for us to feel empowered and take control of our lives again after an HIV diagnosis. Shared experiences can address common concerns we may face, like stigma and disclosure. Personal support from another woman living with HIV can be uplifting, supportive […]
Read more →Just us Guys is a peer-facilitated, discussion based support group open to all self identified guys who are living with HIV/HCV Second Wednesday of each month at 1pm 101-1139 Yates Street Victoria, BC Tel: 250.382.7927 A chance to talk about what’s going on in your life and health. • Groups provide safe spaces in which members share information and provide mutual support • Topics of conversation differ by group but may include: responding to a new diagnosis, aging with HIV, developing […]
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