HIV/AIDS Prevention and Support

FAQs

• Why is HIV education important?
  Unfortunately, there are disparities in access to health information and education, barriers to testing and getting resources like condoms, and lack of access to newer interventions like PrEP and injectable HIV treatment options. Education and outreach helps overcome barriers like stigma and inequitable disparities. 
• Are there people in Ontario who face greater barriers/disparities regarding HIV?
  Yes. The following groups are disproportionately impacted by HIV:

  • Gay/Bisexual/other men having sex with men, including transgender men who have sex with men
  • People in the Afro-Caribbean Black diaspora, including newcomers as well as Black people born in Canada
  • Women, including trans women and non-binary/AMAB/AFAB people who identify as women, at risk
  • People who use drugs, including injection drugs and crystal meth
  • Indigenous people
• Why is stigma such a big factor in preventing/treating HIV?
  Stigma about HIV leads to discrimination, fear, and social isolation. This reduces people's willingness to get tested, disclose their status, and access services. This increases the risk of transmitting HIV to other people and negatively impacts the physical and mental health of people already living with the disease. 
• What is the United Nations' Call to Action regarding HIV??
  In its 2021 Call to Action, the United Nations reinforced its support for “urgent and transformative action to end the social, economic, racial and gender inequalities, restrictive and discriminatory laws, policies and practices, stigma and multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, including based on HIV status, and human rights violations that perpetuate the global AIDS epidemic”.