Service Reaches Out to HIV-Positive Youth in Toronto

Until Tatiana tested positive for HIV at age 23, she believed AIDS was a problem only for gay men and drug users. "I didn't think HIV was a women's issue. It was devastating. I felt so ashamed and dirty. I felt like dying," said the Toronto resident, who contracted the virus through unprotected sex. When she reached out to social agencies for help, she hit a brick wall. None had programs for people with HIV in her age group. She felt out of place and isolated in AIDS programs geared to people who were older and had different issues. "It was a very lonely feeling," said Tatiana, now 30.

A new campaign called Young and HIV+ has been launched to help fill the gap in services for people ages 16 to 29. Unlike other youth-targeted AIDS services, which focus on prevention, this campaign aims to help those living with the virus. The first of its kind in Canada, it is the fruit of a partnership between the AIDS Committee of Toronto, Positive Youth Outreach and Central Toronto Youth Services. The campaign features colorful postcards and posters carrying comments from young people on various aspects of living with HIV/AIDS, including relationships, disclosure of HIV status and health concerns. Weekly support groups will start in January.

Authorities say it is difficult to pinpoint how many people 29 or younger have contracted HIV, because young adults are tested at a far lower rate than older adults. Some may live with HIV for years before being diagnosed. The campaign was developed after interviews with 32 HIV-positive Torontonians between ages 18 and 25. "They bounced between AIDS services organizations and youth services organizations because neither one knew quite how to deal with them," said Alex McClelland, a program coordinator with Positive Youth Outreach. Most AIDS agencies are geared to people 30 and older, so young people aren't comfortable going there for services, said Dino Pauletti, a program coordinator with Central Toronto Youth Services.

Back to other CDC news for December 7, 2001

Previous Updates