Success Stories/Features

"Gay Men Play Safe": Campaign Tackles Myths, Promotes Prevention

The latest data from the Public Health Agency of Canada reveal that gay men continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV. In 2002, an estimated 40 per cent of new HIV infections in Canada were among men who have sex with men, compared to 30 per cent in 1996. Which raises the question: is unsafe sex on the rise?

The answer, according to a national HIV prevention campaign being spearheaded by AIDS Vancouver, is a resounding NO! more >>

"The Fire Pit" Stokes Cultural Connections and HIV Prevention in Prince George

Homelessness, injection drug use and alcohol abuse are taking a huge toll on Aboriginal people in Prince George, British Columbia. The Fire Pit Cultrual Centre is attempting to address these determinants of health, and prevent new infections of HIV and hepatitis C, by helping at-risk Aboriginal people reconnect with their culture and understand how the process of colonization has impacted their lives and risk for HIV.

Operated by Positive Living North (an Aboriginal AIDS service organization in Prince George) in partnership with the Central Interior Native Health Society, The Fire Pit is a place where Aboriginal people - and their friends - can gather to learn, share and understand culture, health and community. more >>

Second Generation Surveillance System Monitors Risk Behaviours Among Injection Drug Users

A new HIV surveillance system that is tracking risk behaviours among injection drug users in cities across Canada will yield crucial data to help national, regional and local health authorities plan prevention efforts for HIV and related infections, such as sexually transmitted infections and hepatitis C.

"Risk behaviour is accepted around the world as another type of information you need to properly monitor prevention programs," explains Dr. Chris Archibald, Director of the Public Health Agency of Canada's Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division. "Because it involves gathering behaviour information, in addition to information on a person's infection status, this is often referred to as 'second generation' surveillance."more >>