Where to go
Your doctor
The first thing you may want to do is find a doctor who specializes in HIV. Because HIV is complex, it’s important that your doctor has experience treating patients. If you do not know an HIV doctor, your family physician might be able to refer you to one or to a clinic that specializes in HIV. You can also contact a local community-based HIV/AIDS Service Organization (ASO) for guidance. Each ASO provides support, care, prevention education and/or other services to people with HIV. There are many ASOs across Canada. If you do not find one here in your area, contact the next closest and they will help you.
Clinics
Just as there are doctors who specialize in HIV, there are clinics whose sole purpose is to see HIV patients. Contact your local HIV/AIDS hotline or ASO for a list of HIV clinics in your area.
Community-based HIV/AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs): What they are and how they can help
Community-based HIV/AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs) are your local link to everything HIV and AIDS-related. ASO workers provide care, prevention education, as well as a multitude of other services to people living with HIV. They won’t judge you. They will listen to you.
Information on HIV
Whether you’ve just been diagnosed or have been HIV positive for several years, ASOs are trained to answer all your questions, provide information on HIV issues and guide you toward the help you need.
Nutrition, diet and exercise, and complementary therapies
Being well takes on a whole new meaning when you’re HIV positive. In addition to showing you how to eat well and get sufficient exercise, ASOs can introduce you to new ways of finding balance in your life. Complementary therapies like yoga, meditation, reiki, massage, acupuncture and self-help groups can all help you find wellness and add balance to your life.
Workshops
Many ASOs offer “how-to workshops” on such topics as: coping with work, friends and family; coming out with your status; nutrition and cooking. Some also offer legal and financial seminars. Most importantly, you’ll find people with whom you can relate.
Emotional counselling and support
Many ASOs provide individual or group counselling services to those who need them. They are also able to refer you to experts who can help you with any specific issues you may have.
Financial and legal aid
If you test positive for HIV, you may at some point need to contact someone to help you deal with a legal situation to either defend your rights at work, with a landlord, or for something of a more personal nature. ASOs can often put you in touch with people and groups that can lend you a hand (food banks, financial aid, government programs).
Talking to your healthcare provider
Knowing how to talk to your healthcare provider (what questions to ask, understanding what certain test results mean) about HIV can make a big difference in terms of your peace of mind and overall feeling of well-being. Your local ASO can empower you to take control of your condition.
Socializing and acceptance
Many ASOs hold events where people living with HIV can meet, socialize and interact with one another. No one understands you better than someone else going through the same thing. Remember, you are not alone.
Where to find an ASO near you
For further reading, here are some additional links and downloadable resources:
Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network
The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network (www.aidslaw.ca) promotes the human rights of people living with and vulnerable to HIV/AIDS in Canada and internationally, through research, legal and policy analysis, education and community mobilization. The Legal Network is Canada’s leading advocacy organization working on the legal and human rights issues raised by HIV/AIDS.
Health Canada – Diseases and Conditions – AIDS
Health Canada’s primary site on HIV and AIDS
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/aids-sida/fi-if/index-eng.php
Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
The Public Health Agency of Canada is responsible for the overall coordination of the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada. The Federal Initiative – a partnership between the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Correctional Service Canada – works towards a Canada free from HIV and AIDS and the underlying conditions that make Canadians vulnerable to the epidemic.
