Gay Men's Health and Wellness Outreach::
HIV prevention must engage HIV+ men in all aspects of program development and delivery and is most effective when it accounts for all aspects of gay men’s wellness: physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual, and sexual. At the same time, HIV prevention must also account for the social and socio-economic factors that affect an individual’s capacity to consistently choose healthier options. These factors include poverty, employment, stable and adequate housing, secure and regular access to nutritious food, education, social marginalization, etc.

In collaboration with partners such as Public Health, Pink Triangle Services, Wabano, and the Youth Services Bureau, the AIDS Committee of Ottawa is an active participant in the Gay Men’s Wellness Initiative (GMWI). ACO activities conducted as part of the GMWI include:

• Health promotion activities in local bath houses: distribution of condoms, lube, gloves, dental dams, and other safer sex supplies; on-site counselling and information around HIV, STDs, safer sex practices, or other aspects of men’s health; referrals to local community services such as HIV/STD testing, gay-focused services, etc. ACO is present in local bathhouses several times per week.
  
  
• Health promotion activities in local bars attended by men who have sex with men: distribution of condoms, lube, gloves, dental dams, and other safer sex supplies; on-site counselling and information around HIV, STDs, safer sex practices, or other aspects of men’s health; referrals to local community services such as HIV/STD testing, gay-focused services, etc. ACO is present in local bars several times per week.
  
  
• Health promotion activities on web sites where men who have sex with men meet, socialize, and hook up: availability for question-and-answer sessions around HIV, STDs, risk assessment, safer sex practices, and community referrals; online counselling and “listening” services; participation in online message boards to engage gay and HIV+ men in program development, implementation, and evaluation.
  
  
• Health promotion activities in public spaces where men who have sex with men meet: distribution of condoms, lube, gloves, dental dams, and other safer sex supplies; on-site counselling and information around HIV, STDs, safer sex practices, or other aspects of men’s health; referrals to local community services such as HIV/STD testing, gay-focused services, etc. ACO is currently developing its public spaces outreach activities for the summer in consultation with other local organisations and with gay and HIV+ men.
  
  
• Health promotion through special events: participation in the annual Lesbian and Gay Expo; outreach at special events within local leather, S&M, drag, and other communities; coordination of an Ottawa Gay Men’s Health Fair; etc.

For more information on the ACO Gay Men's Health and Wellness Project or if your organization would like to become a community partner, please contact:

Michael Burtch,
Men's Outreach Coordinator
(613) 238-5014 ext. 232
mens.health@aco-cso.ca

Women's HIV Prevention Outreach::
The ACO Women’s Prevention Project aims to develop HIV prevention initiatives, including positive prevention initiatives, which are geared to women in the Ottawa community.

Such initiatives include partnering with HIV-positive women as well as community organizations in the development and delivery of prevention programs to high-risk groups of women. These programs may take the form of: