Sense Project

Thursday, January 28th, 2010
1455 de Maisonneuve W. H-110 6 PM

Quebec PLWA author Laurette Lévy (Debout en clair-obscur, 2007; Zig Zag, 2002) and HIV/AIDS activist (speaking in French) will address her personal trajectory as a woman and as a writer through the quarter century since her infection, raising issues around the involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS in volunteering and activism.

This event is FREE and open to the general public.

So, why do we make bad decisions when we’re naked? Well, I don’t think that even the most reputable social and natural scientists in the world would be able to provide a clear answer to this question or be able to agree on one. And, I happen to think that human beings are pretty complex when it comes to their behaviours and practices so the answer to this question might always remain an unsolvable mystery. This means that the only thing we can do is learn about what constitutes risky behaviours and practices that might put us in harms way and of course, educate others.

Throughout the month of November, the Sense Project posted a series of myth busting questions and answers, opinion polls, videos and other related content in the hopes of clarifying certain misconceptions about HIV/AIDS while pointing to prevention strategies. We began by illustrating that HIV/AIDS affects us here, in Canada. After that, we addressed the infamous “mosquito bite” myth, confirming that mosquitoes cannot, in fact, transmit HIV. This was followed by a controversial poll which inquired into the possibility that we live in a post-AIDS world. It was inspired by a very interesting talk I attended given by epidemiologist, journalist and author of The Wisdom of Whores, Elizabeth Pisani. Afterward, issues pertaining to HIV stigma were discussed with the help of provocative videos created by other awesome organizations such as AIDES and COCQ-SIDA. Then, we tackled particular sexual acts such as anal and vaginal intercourse in the hopes of illustrating that safe sex always needs to happen, regardless of the ways you choose to have it and/or your sexual orientation. Evidently, this provided the perfect introduction to a discussion on the ways in which HIV is transmitted and the different stages of HIV infection.

And, today is World AIDS Day which means that the Sense Project’s e-blitz has come to an end. Though, we hope that the month of November along with our regular programming has provided you with the opportunity to learn more about HIV/AIDS and well, we hope that we’ve better equipped you to fight against prejudice and practice safe sex.

So, please take a moment to reflect - to think about the millions of people worldwide who have died and/or who continue to be affected by HIV and AIDS. But, also, show your support.

Be fair, be aware and BE SAFE.

Cheers!!!

Chopstix

Check out this video and see my response in the following post!

Tomorrow is World AIDS Day. This is an important day to recognize, not just for those of us that love to talk about sex and sexual health, but for everyone. But does having one day a year set aside for such an important issue really address the significance of AIDS? Claire Keeton, the senior HIV reporter at the Sunday Times newspaper, recently had a blog post about World AIDS Day and what this day means:

“ Some people with HIV/AIDS and activists object to World AIDS Day – essentially saying it allows people to ignore the epidemic the rest of the year, as long as they remember it for a single day.

Paying lip service. Window dressing… From my side, World AIDS Day does have advantages. It’s the one time of the year that all media make space for HIV/AIDS stories.”[1]

Many people still don’t know the facts about HIV/AIDS- like how it’s transmitted, how to get tested and how protect yourself, or that it’s not curable, though it is treatable. The goal of having a day about AIDS that is advertised and supported all over the world is so that more people will learn important information for their own sexual health. World AIDS Day is important and necessary. As Keeton says, having a day set aside ensures that AIDS is not forgotten and not ignored. But having one day a year is not enough. Hopefully tomorrow will encourage people to get tested and get information. But more importantly, it will hopefully encourage people to take action and educate themselves and others all year long. If this day exists to make sure people don’t forget about AIDS, then we can’t stop there. What happens on December 2 and for the next 364 days until World AIDS Day 2010? Let’s make every day a day to talk about HIV/AIDS and sexual health, to support those living with HIV/AIDS, and to make sure that in the future, we won’t need one day a year to tackle this enormous issue because we are always thinking about it.

Don’t forget that Head & Hands is hosting a free anonymous HIV screening clinic for youth 12-25 on Tuesday, December 1 between 5-9:30 pm. Check out http://www.senseproject.org/2009/11/know-your-status-savoir-cest-pouvoir/ for more info.

What’s more risky for contracting HIV - having unprotected vaginal intercourse OR having anal sex with a condom?

While the answer to this question might seem obvious to some, both HIV stigma and homophobia have skewed the manner in which some people define and perceive anal sex. The point of this question was to destigmatize certain types of sex and show, that no matter what kind of sex you’re having, you should do it safely!!! Indeed, having unprotected vaginal intercourse is way more risky because you are, simply, unprotected.