2024-03-01 13:00:00
According to Health Canada, women are five times more likely than men to contract HIV in the country. However, one of the most persistent stereotypes is that HIV mainly affects men who have sex with men. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Winnie Numéro, project manager at the Center d’Action AIDS Montréal (CASM) demystifies the situation of women living with HIV in Montreal and discusses the resources available to offer them the necessary support.
CASM’s mission is to defend the rights of people who identify as women and who are living with HIV. More specifically, the center aims to improve their quality of life, in an empowerment approach in addition to implementing awareness and prevention initiatives among the Montreal population.
Pour Winnie Name, employed by CASM for three years, the center also aims to create a space of security: “struggle, mutual aid and solidarity are three words that sum up our approach well. All people who identify as women can turn to us to find a safe space designed to improve their quality of life. »
One of the only organizations dedicated exclusively to women living with HIV, CASM has a team of seven women who help a community of some 300 women and their families. The support offered takes the form of screening services, individual or group consultation, prevention workshops, support services during medical appointments and even support for employability procedures.
The Looking at HIV photo series is produced by Shutterstock and was designed in collaboration with ViiV healthcare
Among the issues specific to women living with HIV, we include the high costs related to medication and the difficulty of accessing health care, especially when it comes to immigrants: “access to care for immigrant women is an important issue from a cultural point of view, even more so when they consider that they may be treated by men. Furthermore, some of them have difficulty paying living bills such as rent, so medication often comes last,” explains the project manager.
Violence, physical or psychological, stigma and lack of education about reproductive and sexual health are other scourges that attack women more seriously. In the case of newcomers or people from different cultures, the lack of understanding or information can be particularly damaging: “these people have never had access to adequate information, they immediately associate HIV to death. For them and their family, they are convinced that they are dead, so when you add the cultural or language barrier, it is a challenge,” confides Winnie Numéro.
One of the most persistent misbeliefs among women living with HIV is that they will automatically pass the virus to their child if they become pregnant. However, Winnie Number is the perfect example of the opposite. The one who was born with HIV gave birth to two perfectly healthy children and wants to reassure women who are going through the same situation: “there are certain recommendations to follow, particularly in relation to breastfeeding, but it is possible to have a beautiful pregnancy and give birth to a healthy child! »
At the same time, the project manager also wants to demystify another false belief that is too widespread, that according to which it is impossible to find love and have fulfilled sexuality when you contract the virus: “it is false to say that you cannot have a normal life if you contract the disease. It is not HIV that dictates our lives, it is up to us to lead the life we want. »
It is clear that education and awareness are still required since a decline in the collective level of knowledge related to HIV and sexual health is being felt on the ground, more precisely among young people, according to the speaker. : “we have more difficulty reaching the youngest. We realize that there is a general loss of knowledge currently. For example, someone recently asked us if they could contract the virus after kissing a woman living with HIV. Another asked us how to put on a condom. »
Winnie Name recalls that women living with HIV are sorely lacking in role models, and she shares with them the message she would have liked to receive when she had to learn to live with her situation: “you are not alone and you deserve love and respect. Do not hesitate to ask for help! »
To the families of people living with HIV, Winnie Name, who was fortunate to be surrounded by two loving and healthy brothers, she said: “you play a big role in the lives of people living with HIV, so we must continue to make a difference through love, support and commitment. »
INFO | People who would like to volunteer with the CASM or who wish to obtain more information about its services can contact the center by telephone or visit its website at https://casm-mtl.org
This content is sponsored by ViiV Healthcare Canada.
1709313703
#Demystifying #situation #women #living #HIV