ACT e-Bulletin Vol. 4 No. 6.

The ACT e-Bulletin
January/February 2010

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ACT Strategic Plan 2010: Stakeholder Survey
Survey

From January 18 to February 8, 2010, ACT is conducting a survey to seek input from the community as we develop our next strategic plan.

Community engagement is key in ensuring that our next strategic planning process will be informed by the needs, opinions and feedback of our community members, service users, volunteers, and people living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS - whether they have used our services or not.

Visit www.actoronto.org/strategicplansurvey to participate in a confidential online survey.  

Hard copies of the survey are also available at our offices (399 Church Street, 4th floor).

When you have completed the survey, you have the option of entering a draw to win a $50 gift certificate.


Attack of the Cursed Syphilis!
Since 2002, Toronto has seen a dramatic increase in documented syphilis cases, with the overwhelming majority occurring among gay and bisexual men.  Ninety-five percent of infections in 2008 were among men, with gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men comprising 83% of the infections among men.  An increasing number of men diagnosed with syphilis are also HIV-positive - up to one-half in 2008.  While syphilis is treatable, it can result in severe health issues if undetected, especially for those living with HIV/AIDS.

ACT has been raising awareness about syphilis since the outbreak began, by talking to men about syphilis during outreach and also promoting testing and treatment.  In response to a request from ACT, Toronto Public Health and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care have provided funding to roll out a new multifaceted awareness campaign in print, online and in community venues.  With illustrations and graphics that remind us of a 1950s movie poster, the campaign will encourage gay and bisexual men to learn more about syphilis, get tested for it, and - most importantly - get treated.
Syphilis

To find out more, visit:  http://www.actoronto.org/syphilis


Getting Connected: Online Workshop
Feeling isolated and disconnected from other guys like you?  Looking to meet men with similar interests?  Want to find Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now?

Let us help you board the on-ramp to cyberspace!  Join us at the ACT office for an interactive workshop that will help you navigate social and sexual networking websites, and find out what you've been missing!

We'll get you set up with an e-mail account and provide a crash course in networking sites and the countless sources of information the internet can provide.

Familiarize yourself with online etiquette and find out how to protect yourself online.

Saturday, February 6, 2010
Time: 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
399 Church Street, 4th Floor

Spaces are limited, so register now!  Call 416-340-8484 ext. 234 or e-mail pjohnston@actoronto.org


February's Community Health Forum
Does treating HIV prevent transmission?
·    HIV treatment and transmission risks: what are the facts?
·    PEP/PrEP: the HIV morning-after/night-before pill?

GUEST SPEAKERS
ReJean Thomas, PhD, DSc, MD
President and Founder, Clinique Médicale L'Actuel, Montreal

Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Buffet at 6:30 p.m., Presentation from 7 to 9 p.m.

WHERE: Ramada Plaza Toronto, Essex Room
300 Jarvis Street, Toronto (south of Carlton)

FREE admission. No registration required. Wheelchair accessible. Child care subsidy available. An open discussion for people living with HIV/AIDS. For more information, please contact Robin Rhodes at rrhodes@actoronto.org or 416-340-8484 ext. 219.


Vaccines: What You Need to Know
With flu season still upon us, this is an opportunity to think about vaccines.  Not just influenza vaccines, but also for other infections that are important for people living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS to protect themselves against.

Here are some things you should know about getting vaccinated against H1N1 and seasonal flu, as well as hepatitis A and B.

H1N1 and Seasonal Flu Vaccines
    • It is a long-known fact that influenza (flu) vaccines can create a false positive result in antibody testing for HIV, hepatitis C (HCV) and HTLV (a class of viruses that attack lymphocytes). This is true for the H1N1 flu vaccine currently being used in Canada.
    • The vaccine does not create false positives in the secondary set of confirmatory tests that must be done for all positive HIV antibody tests.
    • Although we are uncertain how long the vaccine can have an effect on antibody testing, some European warnings have indicated that the time period is 90 days.
Hepatitis A & B Vaccines
    • Besides the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines, people who are living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS should consider their risks for hepatitis A (HAV) and hepatitis B (HBV), and think about getting vaccinated. You may wish to not get vaccinated because of an allergy to something in the vaccine or for other reasons, so talking to a medical professional is important.
    • On the market is a combined vaccine for both hepatitis A and B, although the separate vaccines for either are also available.  The vaccine is free of charge in Ontario if you are a man who has sex with men, an injection drug user or if you have chronic liver problems. People who do not fall into any of these categories may also be able to get either a vaccine for hepatitis A or hepatitis B.  See ACT's web site or the Toronto Public Health website at www.toronto.ca/health for more information.
    • If you are living with HIV, getting a vaccine may not work, particularly for people with low CD4+ cell counts (300 or below).  Brazilian scientists have been able to confirm that higher dosages of vaccine for HAV and HBV work best for people living with HIV. However, doctors in Canada may not opt to use that method since they may not be able to find Canadian approved guidelines for higher dosages of vaccines. Some doctors opt to simply monitor a person living with HIV to see if they develop immunity following the vaccination. If they do not develop immunity, the individual may be re-vaccinated.
Hepatitis C
    • There is no vaccine for hepatitis C (HCV), which is transmitted via contact with someone else's blood. Adequate care to not share needles or anything else that comes in contact with anyone else's blood (like tattooing equipment or straws for snorting drugs) is very important. There is some emerging research indicating that contact between nasal mucosa may also transmit HCV, without blood present. This further reinforces the idea that sharing straws for snorting drugs is not a good idea.
    • If you are living with HIV, you should also be careful about contracting hepatitis C sexually. Although rarely seen in a sexual context for people not living with HIV, there have been reports of clustered outbreaks of hepatitis C in Europe, the United States and Australia among men living with HIV who have sex with men. This indicates that it can be transmitted among people living with HIV for reasons we do not currently understand completely.  Wearing a condom and using other barriers is the only known form of protection against hepatitis C in a penetrative sexual context besides abstinence.
More About Hepatitis
    • Hepatitis A usually happens as a result of ingesting anything contaminated by feces (shit). This can happen because of food that was contaminated by someone who did not wash their hands, or from water that was contaminated. This can also happen in a sexual context, if your mouth comes in contact with any part of someone's body that may be contaminated by feces and was not washed properly.
    • Hepatitis B is the most infectious of the three most common types of the virus (A, B and C).  It can be transmitted through many body fluids, including saliva (which has less of a concentration of hepatitis B than semen, vaginal fluids or blood), and it requires intimate contact that would get hepatitis B into someone's blood stream.


Beat the Cold: Join Us for Condom Stuffing Parties
CondomACT's famous condom stuffing parties are a great way to make a difference without making a large commitment. All of the condom/lube packs produced in this program go right out into the community through our outreach distribution channels.

Winter dates are January 26th and February 9th and 23rd. Events run from 6 to 8:30 pm and we provide refreshments, pizza and even occasional door prizes.

You are encouraged to bring a friend and there is no need to register. Learn more at www.actoronto.org/condomstuffing.

To register for our email reminder service, or for program information, please write to dmaclachlan@actoronto.org


SNAP! 2010
SNAP!
Join us for Canada's pre-eminent photography fundraiser.
It will be a night to remember all year long.

Event Details
Sunday, March 21, 2009
Live & Silent Auction Event
Photography and photo-based art by renowned and emerging photographers
National Ballet School (400 Jarvis Street, Toronto)

Tickets Available Online
Tickets: $90
To purchase tickets visit: www.snap-toronto.com

For More Information
SNAP! Hotline: 416-340-9255
Questions about tickets: tickets@actoronto.org


Phoenix Workshops
Curious about anal sex?
Interested in enhancing your skills in bed?
Want to be a "certified sex pro"?

If you answered yes to any of these questions and you are a gay or bi man, this workshop series may be for you.

Explicit, detailed and fun, the Phoenix Workshops are a free opportunity to learn more about the sex you like and the sex you're missing out on.

Hear real experiences, learn how to protect yourself and others, and -- of course -- you'll practise all of them!

Join us at the Phoenix Workshops: Eroticism, Pleasure and Harm Reduction.

Thursday, January 29, 2010
AIDS Committee of Toronto
399 Church Street, Room 221

For more information and to RSVP, contact Carlos at 416-340-8484 ext. 247 or crivas@actoronto.org

Open to all gay and bisexual men.


Services for HIV-Positive Women at ACT
Women's Coffee Nights: Monthly informal gathering for HIV-positive women on the third Wednesday of every month from 6:00-8:00pm.

Women's Community Kitchens: Monthly opportunity for women with HIV/AIDS of African and Caribbean descent to gather, share food and talk. Call 416-340-8484 ext. 283 for information and location.

For more information about either program, please contact Kate at 416-340-8484 ext. 283 or kmurzin@actoronto.org

The Women's Community Kitchen is a partnership program between the AIDS Committee of Toronto, the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention, Africans in Partnership Against AIDS and Voices of Positive Women.


One Night Stand: Are you up for it?
Every month we will be holding an intimate evening discussion for gay men.  A place where we can talk about issues that are important to us, such as:
    • Dating and relationships
    • Fitting in
    • Finding friends
    • Better sex
    • Other things that you want to talk about
One Night Stands will be held in community spaces in the Church/Wellesley neighbourhood, and we will provide some food and drinks.

All you need to do is show up!  It's a great way to meet new people and have a place to talk.

To let us know you want to come or to find out the next time and location, contact Carlos at 416-340-8484 ext. 247 or crivas@actoronto.org, or visit us online at www.actoronto.org/onenightstand


New in the ACT Library: Travelling With HIV
With the United States recently lifting its travel ban on people living with HIV, you may have questions about travelling with HIV, either to the U.S. or elsewhere.

The ACT Library, the largest of its kind in North America, has assembled a list of resources available for for you to help plan your trip.

ACT Library: Travel and HIV

The books, periodical articles, and web resources on this list can help you learn more about travelling when you're HIV-positive. This resource list covers health care planning, travelling with medication, sexually transmitted infection risk, travel restrictions in other countries, and travelling to Canada. For medical or legal advice, speak to your doctor or a lawyer.


Support Groups Survey
We want your feedback -- positive or negative.

For the past 20 years, ACT has been offering group support to the community.  As we prepare to enter a new decade of service, we want to hear from people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS - whether you have participated in one of our support groups or not - about how we can build on the program to better serve you.

Help shape the future of our support groups for yourself and others in the community.  Fill out our anonymous survey online at www.actoronto.org/supportgroupsurvey

For more information on support groups at ACT, please contact our HIV Health Promotion Coordinator at 416-340-8484 ext. 283.

ACT would like to thank all the group members, volunteer facilitators and staff who have contributed to the well-being of the community through our support groups.