HIV Education : Gay & Black Glossary

* 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z (all)

HIV Education

The Problem

There is a problem of increasing HIV (Human Immuno-deficiency Virus) among aboriginals and immigrant groups.

The Opportunity

The opportunity is to reach all population groups who are being missed by the current education materials written in English.

Example

A man explained to me that he had found no HIV material in his native Hindi language. He was totally ignorant of safe sex procedures, yet was having gay sex outside his marriage. Many gay and straight aboriginals don’t know even the basics. The usual written sources are not reaching them.

What I want to happen

The literature needs to be available in Hindi and all the other languages common among BC’s immigrants. This is especially important in cultures that don’t freely discuss sexual matters.
Radio and TV spots. These must not mince words; they must mention condoms specifically. They must be fully educational, debunking all the common misconceptions. Many people at risk simply cannot or do not read. We must get to them in other ways. A particularly useful placement for these is during soap operas.
Put out the word that the new HIV drugs merely keep people from dying. They don’t cure it. Even with the drugs, living with HIV is still a major pain in the behind.
Offer some tax incentive for producers of movie and TV dramas to weave safe sex education into the dramatic plot.
Present information to groups within each ethnic community in their native language, thinking broadly about appropriate venues, e.g. Bingo. They could be just little micro talks or dramas aimed at making a single point.
Very specifically go after some of the myths:
- That some ethnic groups are immune to HIV. Every group seems to get the weird notion they are immune.
- That only gay people can get HIV.
- That HIV is contagious other than by sexual contact and needle sharing.
- That HIV is now curable.

Getting Involved

You can use this document as a model for a letter to your own Minister of Health. Cut and paste. Add your own ideas. It is best to phone. That gets the most attention. Next best send a snail mail letter. Next best, send a fax. Next best, send an email. Here is where to send them:

Ministers of Health
Province	Phone/Fax	Snail Mail	Email
AB	(780) 427-3665 tel (780) 415-0961 fax	Gary G. Mar Q.C. MINISTRY OF HEALTH #323, 10800 — 97 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2B6	Calgary_Nose_Creek@assembly.ab.ca
BC		Terry Lake MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND MINISTRY RESPONSIBLE FOR SENIORS PO BOX 9050 STN PROV GOVT VICTORIA BC V8W 9E2	kevin.falcon.mla@leg.bc.ca
MB	(204) 945-3731 tel (204) 945-0441 fax	Hon. Dave Chomiak MINISTRY OF HEALTH Room 302 Legislative Building Winnipeg MB R3C 0V8	minhlt@leg.gov.mb.ca
NB	(506) 453-2536 tel (506) 444-4697 fax	Dr. Dennis Furlong Minister Department of Health and Wellness P.O. Box 5100 Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 5G8	wwwleg@gnb.ca
NF	(709) 729-3124 tel (709) 667-8409 fax	Honourable Roger Grimes, Minister Health and Community Services Confederation Building P.O. Box 8700 St. John’s, Newfoundland A1B 4J6	rgrimes@mail.gov.nf.ca
NS	(902) 424-3377 tel (902) 424-0559 fax	Jamie Muir Minister of Health Department of Health PO Box 488 Halifax, NS B3J 2R8	healmin@gov.ns.ca
NT	(867) 669-2304 tel (867) 873-0169 fax	Minister of Health and Social Services Box 1320 Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9	premier@gov.nt.ca
ON	(416) 327-4300 tel (416) 326-1571 fax	Deb Matthews Ontario Minister of Health Hepburn Block, 10th Floor 80 Grosvenor Street, 11th Floor Toronto, Ontario M7A 1S2	ccu.moh@ontario.ca
PE	(902) 368-4900 tel (902) 368-4900 fax	Hon. Jamie Ballem Minister of Health Second Floor, Jones Building 11 Kent Street PO Box 2000 Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8	jwballem@gov.pe.ca
PQ/QC	(418) 643-3160 tel (418) 644-4534 fax	Madame Pauline Marois Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux Cabinet de la ministre 1075, chemin Sainte-Foy 15ième étage Québec G1S 2M1	ministre@msss.gouv.qc.ca
SK	(306) 787-7345 tel (306) 787-8677 fax	Hon. Patricia Atkinson Room 302 Legislative Building Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0B3	patkinso@health.gov.sk.ca
YT	(867) 667-5811 tel (867) 667-8409 fax	Don Roberts Yukon Health Minister MINISTER’S OFFICE Yukon Government Administration Building Whitehorse Yukon Y1A 2C6	don.roberts@gov.yk.ca

History

Politicians have historically dragged their feet on AIDs education so badly you could accuse them of trying kill off the affected gay, black or native popuation out of bigoted motives. For example, Ronald Reagan prevented his Surgeon General Everett Koop from putting out a warning about AIDs until 1988, three years after I got it. In the early 1980’s, Bill Vander Zalm of BC blocked all education about HIV in BC, though education about other STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) went ahead. The lack of official confirmation lead me to believe AIDS/Grid was nothing Canadians should worry about. I assumed it was just another case of hysteria in the Excited States of America. Republcan presidents Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 have persisted in forcing abstinence only sex education on the Africans, knowing full well it is worse than useless at preventing disease. They have also blocked Africans from manufacturing their own cheap AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) drugs.

condoms
safe sex

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