Positive Youth Outreach: Services
These are some of the services we can offer you. If there are other things you need help with, please ask us. We give direct answers and have lots of contacts for things we can't do ourselves. Just ask!
Peer Counselling: You can meet privately, one-on-one, with another person who is HIV-positive. You may want to hear their story, find out how they are dealing with their situation, get advice for difficult problems, or simply talk about whatever is going on in your life.
Peer Social Support Groups: : PYO offers a weekly Social Support program, exclusively for young people under the age of 30 who are living with HIV. This takes place every Thursday from 4pm to 8pm. Folks who attend soon discover that they are not the only ones facing major issues such as: disclosure of HIV to friends, family, lovers; dealing with school, employment, depression, isolation, suicidal feelings, discrimination, sex and relationships – and many other worrisome and happy concerns. The Social Support program is attended by a diverse range of young people who have different backgrounds, sexes, cultures and sexual orientations. Together, participants problem solve, strategize and become empowered. At the program – we provide a variety of workshops and discussion groups on a variety of topics like HIV medication and treatment, healthy eating and healthy sex and relationships. For all our upcoming events and to find out how to take part – check out the PYO Calendar of Events.
Information about HIV: One of the most important things we can do for you is to make sure that your knowledge about HIV is accurate and that all your questions are answered. We have most of the answers, but if we are unsure about something, we know others who can help. We can ask them, or we can arrange for you to contact them directly. Information is power and we want you to be empowered.
Information Resources: In our PYO Lounge and staff office we have lots of pamphlets, magazines, brochures – and condoms and lube – all for FREE! We also have a phone and 2 computers available to use. You can drop by and browse, or either phone or email us to find out if we have a particular items. We can also direct you to other information centres or we can try and get the item for you.
Referral Services: We are not experts on everything. Like you, we are dealing with issues that sometimes require us to find a specialist for an appropriate solution. If we think that you should be dealing with someone with a particular expertise, like law for example, we will tell you. We can set you up with that person or just give you the information.
Advocating For You: There may be times when you find yourself losing the battle with some part of the 'system'. We can go to bat for you and help you cut through the red tape. We'll work closely with you to ensure you're getting respect and taken seriously.
In addition to the programs offered through PYO, ACT offers a range of programs that are welcome to access - things like Counselling, Employment Services, Support Groups and many others. To find out about ACT's other service for people with HIV check out this link.
- Check-out www.livepositive.ca / www.viepositive.ca. This site is a fun, interactive, and bilingual website developed by and for HIV-positive youth. The site offers youth friendly HIV/AIDS education, treatment, and support information. The live positive message board is a great place to connect with other HIV-positive youth, ask questions, talk about meds, or just chat!
Curious about sex? Check out www.spiderbytes.ca for a range of information - from the how to even do it to what you need to know to do it safely!
 | My Sex Life_ Info for poz youth.pdf.pdf | 706 (Kbytes) |
