Sense Project

What’s up, everyone? We just got some new condoms over here, of the “moulant” a.k.a “true fit” variety.  We were pretty excited about this shipment because we often wish that condoms were made in more shapes and sizes… so we had a little photo shoot to introduce our new friends in the bright green packaging!

Testin' them out on some woodies!

“Moulant” translates more literally into “skin-tight”, so these condoms are basically narrower in the shaft area, taper in slightly, and then are roomier in the head/tip area. Lengthwise, they are the same as the “Regular” condoms we have here at H&H. Condom fit is super important for comfort, pleasure and safety, and Scarleteen agrees that the roomier fit around the head of the penis can increase pleasure and stimulation.

More pics if you click! Read the rest of this entry »

Click on the image to enlarge the chart!

I love this chart SO MUCH. I find it’s super-helpful for learning about how vaginal fluid (or “discharge”) looks and feels over the course of a menstrual cycle. It’s awesome because it accepts that vaginal fluid is a healthy part of your body and provides a range of possibilities of what it can be like. I also like how it provides a “Symptoms of true vaginal infection” list alongside. Click below to read more!

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Head & Hands is hosting a rapid HIV testing clinic on Thursday, March 31st, 2011, between 5-8pm.

This free service is available for youth aged 12 to 25. Limited spaces are available; the clinic is first-come, first-served.

Rapid testing allows people to get results in a matter of minutes, in contrast to conventional HIV testing which typically involves a two-to-three week delay before getting results. This delay can cause a lot of anxiety and in many cases act as a significant barrier to getting tested. In fact, 76% of people who received rapid-HIV testing at Head & Hands on World AIDS Day listed “less anxiety” as the reason they prefer rapid-testing to regular testing. Head & Hands uses INSTI™ HIV-1/HIV-2* Antibody Test, which provides the same accuracy in results as standard HIV testing (99.96%).

This is the second time that a rapid HIV testing clinic is being offered at Head & Hands. It is a new project that has been developed with the support of the Farha Foundation. The first clinic was offered on World AIDS Day and was very successful: 92% of youth who were tested said that they preferred rapid HIV testing to regular testing, and 100% said they would get rapid testing done again.

In keeping with Head & Hands mission, this clinic aims to provide services that empower youth to make healthy life choices. By offering this confidential, free and rapid HIV testing night, we aim to facilitate Montreal youths access to HIV testing and to do so in a holistic and harm reductive manner. Counseling will be available on site.

Here’s the Facebook event, if you’re interested!

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À deux mains offrira pour la deuxième fois sa clinique de dépistage rapide du VIH, jeudi le 31 mars, 2011, entre 17h et 20h.

Le service sera offert gratuitement pour les jeunes âgés entre 12 et 25 ans. Nombre de places limitées.

Le dépistage rapide permet d’obtenir les résultats en approximativement 10 minutes, alors que les tests de dépistage conventionnels impliquent une attente de 2 semaines entre la réalisation du test et la réception des résultats. Ce délai peut causer beaucoup d’anxiété et, dans plusieurs cas, une barrière à la décision de se faire tester. Comme le dépistage rapide élimine la période d’attente, il peut encourager les gens qui, autrement, ne se feraient pas tester. À deux mains utilise le test d’anticorps INSTI™ HIV-1/HIV-2* qui fournit la même exactitude dans ses résultats que le test de dépistage du VIH standard (99.96%).

C’est la deuxième fois qu’une clinique de dépistage rapide du VIH est offerte chez A deux mains. Il s’agit d’un nouveau projet qui a été développé avec le soutien de la Fondation Farha. La première clinique a été offerte la journée mondiale de lutte contre le SIDA et a été un succès. Vingt-sept jeunes ont été testés ce soir-là, 88% ont dit qu’ils reviendraient.

Conformément à la mission de À deux mains, cette clinique vise à fournir des services qui encouragent la jeunesse à faire des choix de mode de vie sains. En offrant cette soirée de dépistage du VIH confidentielle, gratuite et rapide, nous visons à faciliter l’accès des jeunes de Montréal au dépistage du VIH avec une approche holistique et de réduction des risques. Des interventions seront disponibles sur place.

Voici l’événement Facebook, si cela vous intéresse !

Image via iusy.org

I feel grateful to be spending this World AIDS Day here at the Head & Hands medical clinic, greeting youth who have come in for our first-ever rapid HIV testing night. We’ve seen 20 youth so far, using new-to-us technology that allows people to get their results on the spot - for the scientifically curious, you can check out this video to see how it works! Anyway, it has been a privilege to help provide this service to young people who’ve braved the rain to get tested and take care of their health. More power to them.

Today I’m also thinking about our collective responsibility to fight the fear and silence that still surrounds HIV and AIDS in our communities. Here in Quebec, and Canada more generally, access to treatment and care for those living with HIV has improved dramatically, and a positive diagnosis shouldn’t read like a death sentence. Still, it takes a tremendous amount of courage to live with this virus. People living with HIV face rejection, discrimination, blame, and pressure to disclose their status to all kinds of different people - from sexual partners to insurance agents.

Yes, we need to prevent the spread of the virus. Yes, we need to promote testing. Yes, we need to demand better prevention and education programs that empower people to take charge on their own sexual health. But we also need to fight fear. Everyone deserves a healthy sex life. Everyone deserves privacy, support, and care when they need it.

Here’s a great article over on Colorlines that is worth checking out: I am HIV Positive and I Don’t Blame Anyone - Including Myself

And I still love this video, produced last year:

pile o' condoms!

This week in Sense animator training, volunteers started practicing delivering the series of three workshops we offer to youth.  It was exciting to see their mad facilitation skills and secret talents come out of the closet!

-if a condom breaks while you’re putting it on, start with a new one! this is also true if a condom breaks during condom demonstration - hey, it happens!

Animators rock the Rocky Horror look at Ca Marche!

Tags: ACCM, animator training, Ca Marche, Events, fundraising, HIV, hiv/aids, photos, sense project, volunteers