The Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-12-02, Page 17e t
Page 16 - Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, December 2, 2009
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Rural HIV rates on the increase
Domhilque_ Illburn
signal -star staff
In 2007, the Huron County HIV/AIDS Network
(HCHAN) received a phone call that kick-started
their ongoing efforts to lend support.
On the other end of the line, a representative from
London's Options Clinic, a free, anonymous HIV test-
ing facility. The news was that 80 per cent of their
positive test results were coming from residents of
Huron County.
"The rate of infection for rural areas, Huron spe-
cifically, is on the increase," said network executive
director Sandy Garnet as she manned an information
booth at the Suncoast Mall in Goderich.
Of those included in the 80 per cent, most were
women and youth aged 17 to 24.
According to Garnet, it's almost impossible to say
how many people in Huron are living with HIV. Not
everyone affected seeks HIV specific services, most
prefer to remain anonymous, and some may not even
know they're infected.
"Thirty per cent of Canadians are HIV positive
without knowing it," Garnet said. "That's why it is so
impdrtant to keep talking about this and keep encour-
aging people to be tested."
Garnet and her peers at the Network have ramped
up their community outreach leading up to World
AIDS Day on Dec. 1, visiting interested schools and
classrooms along with the Bluewater Youth Detention
Centre. Last month, the Network teamed up with the
Huron County Health Unit to sponsor a county -wide
competition that invited high school students to de-
sign a poster that combats ignorance and promotes
understanding of HIV/AIDS.
"It's so important to bring this kind of information
back into the high schools," she said. "We're happy to
visit anywhere, community groups, clubs."
The Huron County HIV/AIDS Network is a sup-
port system designed to help "get people where they
want to be," Garnet said. Their promise is absolute
confidentiality.
"We're here for support. We help connect clients
with doctors, find specialists and help guide them
toward their next steps," she said. HCHAN was es-
tablished in 1991 by a group of volunteers who rec-
ognized the need to support those living with HIV/
AIDS, whether infected, affected or at risk.
The group does not receive government funding,
however has been supported by a private funder since
2007.
The per cent rates that correlate with the County are
unnerving, but for those who have tested positive, it's
Now is HIV spread?
You get HIV by exchanging bodily fluids with some-
one who's already infected. This means you can get
HIV by (1) having sex with an infected partner; male,
female or transgender, (2) sharing needles with an
infected person through tattooing, pierdng, or drugs,
or (3) Moms who have the virus can also pass it onto
their children through breastfeeding.
Mother -to -child transmission atbirth is preventable
if the prenatal health care provider is made aware of
a mother's HIV status. HIV doesn't care who you're
having sex with or who you're sharing needles with.
Once HIV is in your bloodstream, that's it -- you're
infected also.
How do I how f I am infected?
The best way to find out if you have HIV is to get
tested. If you want more information on getting tested
give the HCHAN a call at (519) 482-1141.
AIDS is a result of being infected with HIV AIDS is a
disease which destroys your body's immune system.
This means that people with AIDS can't fight off ill-
nesses. The sorts of things that aren't a bigdeal to
healthy people, like the common cold, are very dan-
gerous to AIDS patients.
not the end, Garnet added.
"If you are, you'll deal with it. We are here to
help."
Some clients .with the county HIV Network, she
said, have been living positive for more than 18 years
and have been with the group since its inception.
HIV is the virus which causes AIDS. People who
have HIV don't look or act any differently from unin-
fected people. They may even seem very healthy. HIV
usually takes several years to cause AIDS, so HIV
carriers may not even know they have it. Learn more
by visiting the HCHAN web site at www.hchan.ca.
GODEReCH
Canada's prettiest town
The Council of the Corporation of the Town of Goderich will be
considering the appointment of a volunteer to the Community
Development Partnership Committee.
Those individuals interested in serving on this Committee should
forward their interest to the attention of the undersigned on or
before December 17, 2009
Larry J. McCabe, Clerk -Administrator
Town of Goderich
57 West Street
Goderich, Ontario
N7A 2K5
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