HIV & AIDS in the GLBTT* Community

HIV and AIDS are shrouded in secrecy, largely due to the long-held, mistaken assumption that HIV is a “gay” disease, or even worse, a punishment for people whose sexual behaviours vary from heterosexual standards. While the general public is becoming more informed about this virus, there is still a lot of ignorance and stigma associated with HIV and AIDS.

To help reduce some of this stigma, the words we use to talk about HIV and AIDS are always changing. For example, the term HIV/AIDS has been changed to HIV and AIDS. Getting HIV does not mean you have AIDS, and it’s important to recognize the differences between the two rather than lumping them together. We need to continue informing ourselves about HIV and AIDS so that we don’t unintentionally contribute to the stigma and ignorance surrounding HIV positive people and people living with AIDS. We also need to know our own HIV status so that we can make informed decisions about our sexual health, and give the same respect to our sexual partner(s).

Even within GLBTT* communities, there may be misunderstandings and exclusion based on a person’s HIV status. HIV can only be transmitted through blood, body fluids (semen, vaginal, front hole), and breast milk. If you practice safer sex, using barriers and lube, HIV transmission becomes low risk, meaning it’s very unlikely that someone would get HIV this way.

We can work together to support those in our community who are living with HIV and AIDS. Anything that supports a person’s mental, emotional, physical and/or spiritual health can increase their body’s ability to fight off life-threatening infections. HIV positive people are alive and contributing to our communities in many ways. Many of the advances in HIV treatment and in GLBTT* human rights have been secured for us by HIV positive people and their allies, and we should not take these things for granted.

HIV and AIDS In Canada

While gay men are still predominantly affected by HIV, people of all genders and sexualities can contract this virus. Winnipeg’s HIV infection rates are lower than other major Canadian cities (1 in 4 gay men in Toronto, and 1 in 5 gay men in Montreal are HIV positive). However, many GLBTT* people travel to larger cities to meet sexual partners, and the infection rates in this province are on the rise. Although engaging in unprotected sex may appear to have a lower risk in Manitoba, making the same assumption in a larger city greatly increases your risk of contracting HIV. Unfortunately, the stigma and closeting of HIV has contributed to inconsistent reporting and data collection of this infection, so even governments and health departments are not always as aware of the spread and management details of HIV as they are with other STIs.