We've Moved! AIDS Calgary becomes HIV Community Link

On December 1, 2013 AIDS Calgary Awareness Society became HIV Community Link.

The rebrand brings to a close over twelve months of introspection and evaluation. The new name connects our geographic locations and puts our work at the center of helping people; linking and connecting to prevention, support and advocacy services. The new organization honours AIDS Calgary’s past, the agency founders, their tenacious spirit, and the loss experienced by people living with HIV/AIDS and their loved ones.

 

The rebranding process included community consultation, key informant interviews, online surveys, environmental scans and most importantly, consultation with our clients. This change is not just about a new logo or website, but also a reorganization of programs to best meet the changing needs of our clients.

 

We couldn’t have reached this point without your support and involvement, and we aren’t stopping now. We are committed to keeping you connected as we lead the way in HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C awareness and support for all regions we serve.

Please take a moment to visit our new website www.hivcl.org where you'll find our new blog!

For more information email info@hivcl.org



Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week

It was one of the hardest groups we had to talk too. The group of aboriginal high school students sat quietly in their seats. Few made eye contact and looked down at the HIV/AIDS literature I handed out around the circle. I often found it easy to hand out literature during the condom demonstration because many of the students found it embarrassing or difficult to watch a condom being put on a wooden replica of a penis. The biggest success was that no one left the room, one or two had enough courage to ask a question in regards to HIV/AIDS transmission, most quietly sat or giggled. After the barrier demonstration the most important part of our presentation began, the story from an aboriginal person living with HIV.

Bill had been living with HIV for 28 years. Now 72 years old Bill still had a drive and determination to talk about his story to the aboriginal community. Bill always express that there was a need to talk about HIV, especially when there was an increase in HIV diagnosis in the aboriginal community, mostly with youth and women. Bill also enthusiastically shared his story for the Strong Voices graphic novel as one of the four true stories of aboriginal people living with HIV.

We had been doing HIV presentations together for about a year. Every time we had a group Bill always manage to end the session with his favorite motto, “It’s not negative to be positive”.

I work with the Strong Voices Aboriginal Program for AIDS Calgary, and Bill has been an active member in the HIV/AIDS Community long before I joined the AIDS Calgary crew. For the first time AIDS Calgary will be hosting a Strong Voices Gathering in recognition of Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week, Bill has accepted to tell his story at the gathering.

In partnership with Tipi of Courage (Red Cross) and the Calgary Urban Aboriginal Initiative, Strong Voices will be hosting a gathering on Thursday December 5, 2013 at the Coast Plaza Hotel.

There are various events and activities happening across Indian country in recognition of aboriginal people and HIV/AIDS which could be seen on the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network website www.caan.ca. The goals for Aboriginal AIDS Awareness week include:

·         Increase awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS.

·         Establish ongoing prevention and education programs in Aboriginal communities.

·        Address common attitudes that may interfere with prevention, care and treatment activities.

·        Reduce HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination. (Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network)

Other speakers include Pam Heavy Head (Tipi of Courage), Denise Lambert (Tree of Creation) and Scott Calling Last (Elbow River Healing Lodge).

Please come and join us for our day of learning about HIV/AIDS and the aboriginal people. It is free, space is limited, and it is family friendly. To register or learn more you can email education@aidscalgary.org or phone 403-508-2500 ext. 113/115

Source: Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network. (n.d.). Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week. Retrieved November 11, 2013, from Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network: http://www.caan.ca/projects-and-programs/aboriginal-aids-awareness-week/

New Study Suggests Link Between Depressive Symptoms and Medication Adherence in Men Living with HIV

A study completed by Mount Royal alumni Tyler Faulds in partnership with AIDS Calgary Awareness Association and the Southern Alberta Clinic suggests that levels of depressive and anxious symptoms may influence medication adherence behavior in Albertan men living with HIV.

The study, which was completed as an undergraduate thesis spanning nine months, was an attempt to shed light on two key statistics. First, people living with HIV are far more likely to experience anxiety and depression – some estimates include up to 10x more likely. Secondly, at any given time 30% of people undergoing HAART therapy are not perfectly precise with their medication – a behavior which has potentially dangerous health effects for the individual. The possible connection between these two factors has been studied extensively, most usually assuming that depression leads to poor motivation, or to learned helplessness. That is, someone with HIV just learns to give up over time. Both of these approaches ignore the strength and the diligence of the HIV and AIDS communities, and so Faulds proposed inner speech as a more likely mediating factor.

Inner speech or the voice inside all of our heads that narrates, comments on, and reflects on our day to day interactions plays a more important role than at first glance. Inner speech may actually influence our motivations, feelings, self-concepts, attitudes, and relationships. This voice – that can do everything from remind us to walk the dog, put ourselves down, and focus on our own failures – is a finite resource; only so much can be thought about at any one time. The link proposed by Faulds is that a person living with HIV has more varied and more numerous things to think about than a comparable person without HIV. While someone without HIV may talk to themselves about their goals or their plans for the evening – a person living with HIV might do all of the same things but also think about their health, their partner’s health or their own mortality. They might think about how others see them, an activity magnified by the stigma that HIV+ persons still face. Add on concerns about depression and anxiety – which can include sadness, nervousness, uneasiness and more, and  the amount of inner speech available quickly diminishes. Previous studies have shown that the most frequent function of inner speech in the general population is to help plan out future tasks, and to remind people about those tasks and to complete them. Perhaps when someone living with HIV also suffers from depression and anxiety the first place that they lose inner speech capacity is when thinking about future tasks. Without as many cognitive resources to devote to planning out future tasks and reminding us to complete them, a person living with HIV simply does not have the capacity left to remember to take their medication.

Equal groups of HIV+ and HIV- men took part in the study to examine this potential relationship. They completed measures of depressive and anxious symptoms, provided basic demographic information, and also provided ten examples each of their own past inner speech. Participants were asked to recall ten times they had talked to themselves in the recent past and to input them into the online survey. An example response given by a participant was “I thought about past relationships and the reasons that they did not work out”. Each response was coded for its content (what the speech was about) its function (what was the purpose of the speech) and its frequency (how many times a similar inner speech instance was provided). All of these factors were considered for both groups and were then compared.

HIV+ men scored higher on measures of depression and anxiety than HIV- men. When their inner speech patterns were compared some key differences became evident. The graphic of these frequency, function and content comparisons is shown below:

While HIV+ men were consistently more likely to think about their sexuality, their own behavior, their health and the health of others – men who do not have HIV were more concerned with their jobs and their educations. The most interesting comparison of all, and the one with the largest disparity between groups was on how often the groups talked to themselves about planning future tasks to complete. While HIV- men considered this inner speech function nearly 20% of the time, HIV+ men only utilized this function 5% of the time. This difference supports the hypothesis– that men living with HIV are far more preoccupied with other concerns, and consequently have less inner speech time to devote to planning out future tasks.

The next link in this chain of investigation would be to repeat the study but directly report the adherence behavior of its participants. If this could then be correlated to the existing comparison – that as levels of depression and anxiety increase the amount of time devoted to planning out future tasks decreases  - then the link would be solidified. In the meantime this study offers a few key recommendations and cautions.
For cautions – the results of this study suggest a connection but cannot concretely prove one. If you are someone living with HIV, it does not mean that you are bad at remembering to do things. It also does not mean that you are depressed. One of the most inspiring things about the HIV+ community is how diverse the experiences of its members are. This study looked at general trends only.

For recommendations – especially to service providers, there are two. First, make the psychological health of your clients as important as their physical health. One often overlooked detail is that besides working on ways to keep the body healthy, the mind is an organ which needs to be taken care of as well. Secondly, programs which try to teach proper adherence behavior need to alter their approaches. Rather than hitting a nail on the head with “Remember, remember, remember,” consider that other concerns may be in the way. Once they are dealt with, adherence may come much easier.

For any questions or comments regarding the study, readers are encouraged to contact the researcher directly. Feel free to do so at tfaul473@mtroyal.ca


References:

Canadian HIV Legal Network. (2011). HIV/AIDS policy and law review.
http://www.aidslaw.ca/publications/interfaces/downloadFile.php?ref=2022
Accessed November 2012.

Crepaz, N., Passin, W. F., Herbst, J. H., Rama, S. M., Malow, R. M., Purcell, D. W., &
Wolitski, R. J. (2008). Meta-analysis of cognitive-behavioral interventions on
HIV-positive persons’ mental health and immune functioning. Health Psychology,
27(1), 4–14. doi:10.1037/0278-6133.27.1.4

Du Bois, S. N., & McKirnan, D. J. (2012). A longitudinal analysis of HIV treatment
adherence among men who have sex with men: A cognitive escape perspective.
AIDS care, 24(11), 1425–1431. doi:10.1080/09540121.2011.65067

Gonzalez, J. S., Penedo, Antoni, M. H., Durán, R. E., McPherson-Baker, S., Ironson, G.,
& Schneiderman, N. (2004). Social support, positive states of mind, and HIV
treatment adherence in men and women living with HIV/AIDS. Health
Psychology, 23(4), 413–418. doi:10.1037/0278-6133.23.4.413

Johnson, J. G., Alloy, L. B., Panzarella, C., Metalsky, G. I., Rabkin, J. G., Williams, J. B.
W., & Abramson, L. Y. (2001). Hopelessness as a mediator of the association
between social support and depressive symptoms: Findings of a study of men with
HIV. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 69(6), 1056–1060.
doi:10.1037/0022-006X.69.6.1056

Morin, A., Uttl, B., & Hamper, B. (2011). Self-reported frequency, content, and functions
of inner speech. Procedia-Social and Behavioural Journal, 30, 1714-1718

Morin, A. (2005). Possible links between self-awareness and inner speech. Journal of
Consciousness Studies, 12(4), 115–134.

Uttl, B., Morin, A., Faulds, T., Hall, T., & Wilson, J. (2012). Sampling inner speech
using text messaging. Poster presented at the CSBBCS conference (Kingston,
ON) on June 7-9, 2012.

Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll!

From the title I’m assuming you know exactly which generation I’m referring to. That’s right! The Baby Boomers. Born between 1946 and 1964, boomers were teenagers more interested in having a good time than the potential health risks they were putting their bodies through. Unless they were worried about becoming a baby daddy, it was quite doubtful teenage males wore a condom. Not only was it not on their mind, but it was a humiliating process. Condoms could only be purchased at the local drug store; where there was a pretty darn good chance the person working behind the till knew you or your parents (that’s the last thing you wanted to be seen buying). With sex come drugs. Drugs were readily available and used with little or no thought behind it. Home piercings and tattoos were also very common. Often multiple piercings would take place with the use of only one needle… yikes. It was a carefree generation. However, as the boomers continue to age, the behaviors of the past may come back and haunt them as seniors.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and hepatitis C are both blood borne pathogens and therefore both need to be considered if any at risk behavior has taken place. Little did they know that that one time they shared a needle or had unsafe sex, boomers put themselves at risk.

According to Dr. David Wong, director of the liver clinic at Toronto Western Hospital, “they’re now trying to say if you’re born between 1945 and 1965 you actually have a reasonable chance of having hepatitis C in North America.” 

Hepatitis C is most commonly spread through infected needles and can cause inflammation of the liver, scarring of the organ, cirrhosis and other complications, including liver cancer. The scary thing is, “symptoms don’t occur until there’s liver failure about 20 to 30 years later,” said Wong. 

Not only did this carefree mentality affect baby boomers as teenagers but it would appear the same way of thinking is prevalent in aging seniors. Francoise was infected with HIV at the age of 67. She had just begun a relationship with a man a few years after the death of her husband. It had not occurred to Francoise to protect herself from HIV. Even though there is plenty of access to free condoms and the chances of knowing the store clerk have drastically declined (if you do and you’re embarrassed, go to another store or come to AIDS Calgary and we’ll gladly stock you up) seniors often don’t associate themselves as at risk for HIV. The matter of fact is no matter what your age, you need to take steps to protect yourself from HIV. 

One of the reasons that people think seniors are not at risk of contracting HIV is because they don’t think seniors are sexually active. Dr. Marc Ganem, president of the World Association of Sexology explains, “With divorce increasing commonplace, drugs available to treat erectile dysfunction, and changing sexual mores, seniors have been encouraged to have full sex lives.” You might want to rethink the sex talk before dropping grandma off at the retirement home… just sayin’.

In Canada, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is spreading to demographic groups previously not as affected. As the baby boomers move into their fifties and sixties, could they be the next group most at risk of contracting the virus? 

It’s highly encouraged that any boomers make Hep C and HIV testing a part of their yearly physical exam as neither virus discriminates or gives any generation a free pass. 

They might not be able to stand rock and roll music anymore but there’s a pretty high chance they’re still into sex and drugs (even if it is just the prescription kind). 

References:

CBC News Calgary 

Canadian Public Health Association - Seniors and HIV/AIDS: it’s time to start talking

HIV has always been there

For me, HIV has always been there.

When it comes to being a young gay man, HIV IS my issue. The virus has, throughout history, disproportionately affected the communities that I live, work, travel and play in. However, were it not for HIV being unabashedly non-discriminatory in who it affects, it would likely have remained as aloof and irrelevant as it was made out to be during high school sex education.

When you work in the field, the opportunity to sit down and talk to someone living with HIV is an incredible moment. Lucky for me, these moments happen on a daily basis. Sometimes they are conversations about hearing a diagnosis for the first time, and sometimes they are conversations about how a person has managed their health and relationships over the last 25 years of being positive. These are the moments that hit me the hardest. For me, HIV has always been there.

Sitting across from someone who has been living with HIV for longer than I have been alive, and trying to identify with the emotional, physical, and psychological toll that the virus has taken on them is not always easy. I have never taken a picture with my friends in which I am the last person standing. I have never been told that I had three months to live… two decades ago. I have never feared catching a cough and I have never been shunned for just being me. For me, HIV has always been there.

My biggest fear as a young man is knowing that I could have all too easily never become aware of HIV or the stigma that we so easily perpetuate. I did not live through the years of GRID or Stonewall, of Patient Zero and of endless loss, but I am certainly reaping the benefits of the communities that have driven HIV prevention and awareness from long before my time. For me, HIV has always been there.

I feel lucky to have fallen into an abundance of HIV knowledge, and a community that is both supportive and challenging in the ways in which we move HIV awareness and education into our community. What it means to be a young gay man working in an AIDS service organization now is the chance to know a history of the people who have brought the field of HIV as far as it has come. Rarely are we invited to be such an integral part in both making and sustaining history, so I take great pride in being able to support the work that AIDS Calgary does for me as a young person, as a gay person, because for me, HIV has always been there.