Sunday, March 8 is International Women’s Day. This is an important moment for the OAN and its Members to stop and reflect on the leadership of HIV positive women in Ontario and the organizations that support them. This year we’d like to recognize the work of Voices of Positive Women and the agency’s legacy of supporting HIV positive women in Ontario and building a generation powerful HIV positive women who are still leading today. Voices closed ten years ago and we must always remember the important work of this agency and its many contributions to our sector. We would also

This spring, the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) will be launching PrEPStart, a program to provide three months of PrEP free for people who do not have a drug plan in Ontario. This short-term supply of medication can allow participants to start PrEP immediately while applying for ongoing coverage through a public or private drug plan. Along with their medication, participants will receive additional information on the different ways to pay for PrEP in Ontario and the option to connect with the project pharmacist for support while applying for ongoing drug coverage. The OHTN is also adding additional resources to

Between February 28 and March 1, the OAN hosted a highly successful Executive Director/Board Chair Forum. More than 65 EDs and Board Chairs from across our province attended and participated in deep and thoughtful discussions about the health of their agencies, how to work toward Reconciliation, and how the Members of the OAN do their collective work. One of the key sessions at the Forum explored the importance of the ED and Board Chair relationship and how they can become better co-pilots in their agency. We’d like to thank our Advisory Committee for supporting the development of a responsive and

The OAN is seeking a dynamic, energetic and highly organized Manager of Communications and Member Development! The Manager of Communications and Member Development provides the OAN with overall management of province-wide Member services, coordination of the Skills Workshop Series and Skills+ webinar training programs, ongoing communication with Members, and other services as required. If you, or anyone you know would be a great fit for the role please direct them to apply here. The application deadline is Friday, March 20, 2020.

This week Casey House launched #Smashstigma 2020 as a part of their ongoing effort to ignite conversation around the stigma that people living with HIV/AIDS experience. In 2017, they kicked off the #smashstigma campaign with June’s, the world’s first HIV+ Eatery and in 2018 opened Healing House, the world’s first HIV+ Spa. Both award-winning campaigns gained global attention and increased awareness around stigma and HIV. The third iteration of #smashstigma focuses around the power of pop culture and how it can impact stigma.  To spur conversation and pique interest in the topic of stigma they rewrote two iconic sitcoms, Friends

For the past several years, the OAN has worked to strengthen its response to people living with HIV in Ontario and to perfect the ways that they are engaged in the work we do.  At last year’s Annual Meeting, our Members and delegates living with HIV told us that we should move forward with the creation of an Advisory Committee of people living with HIV to inform our important work. Since this time, the OAN board has worked to finalize the Committee’s terms or reference (TOR) and met with a working group to give us feedback on the TOR and

ACCHO is proud to be celebrating Black History Month and honoured to be marking African, Caribbean and Black Canadian HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on February 7th, by launching a province-wide campaign – The Care Collective – targeting African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) women with the aim of increasing HIV awareness, promoting HIV testing, and sparking conversations around HIV.  Data shows that more than half of the women testing positive for HIV in Ontario are ACB women, and these numbers are expected to go up.  Although remarkable headway has been made in the fight against HIV, in fact because remarkable headway has been

This Valentine’s Day, the Ontario AIDS Network is thinking of the thousands of women and young women who are living with HIV in our Province. Women living with HIV are among the many courageous and compassionate leaders in our movement and it’s important that we reflect upon their resilience and strength as positive women. To the women who do it all alone To the women who just moved to the country and are without support To the women who numb the pain To the women who just want to be heard To the women who just got dumped To the young

The Positive Leadership Development Institute (PLDI) is seeking passionate, driven and hardworking facilitators who would like to help their peers develop as leaders in Ontario’s HIV sector. We are seeking PLDI graduates who are interested in co-facilitating PLDI core skills, governance and communications sessions with us. We are also seeking people who are inspired and excited by collaboration, engagement, and making new connections with the most incredible people. Does this sound like you? And would you like to join Tara, Martin and Joseph as a member of the team? If so, we would love to hear from you. For more