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So far Oh has created 288 blog entries.

Seed25+ Community Forum

Dear Supporters, Allies, and community members, You are cordially invited to our ACAS Seed25+ community forum: Real talk from aging PLHIV and the impact from COVID19 and beyond. HIV has been around for more than 35 years, many PLHIV are aging and facing health challenges such as opportunistic infections. We have been living in the pandemic for more than 20 months which creates a huge impact on their Psycho/social life. In this forum you will hear from three PLHIV speakers from different ethnic communities, sharing their journey on aging and how Covid 19 has truly changed their physical, mental and emotional health. By listening to the honest real talk from the speakers, we hope to create a healthy dialogue to find ways to support peers, organizations will have a better understanding of how to improve the quality of life for their service users. Come and join us virtually on this special forum on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, at 7 p.m. sharp for this interactive and meaningful engagement. Please R.S.V.P. to Mr. Alex Ma support@acas.org no later by Monday, December 6. A zoom link will be sent to you via email once registered. ACAS seed25+ community forum is proudly sponsored by ViiV Health Care Canada

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NoTimeToWait2021

REGISTER & MORE INFORMATION at: https://nttw.letsstopaids.org/ We're super excited to help promote NoTimeToWait2021, a youth HIV leadership conference taking place THIS WEEKEND on November 20th-21st! Hosted by @letsstopaids, this opportunity provides young Canadians with an opportunity to further their knowledge on HIV-related issues and develop the advocacy skills necessary to carry out sustainable initiatives. Interested? Use discount code D3Z4T when you register to get $5 off of your registration ($10 instead of $15)! We'll be there, and we hope to see you there, too! [Image Description: On a pink background, red and yellow decals surround the words, "Join ACAS at NoTimeToWait. Information in the description. Link in Hosted by LetsStopAIDS."]

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ACAS office is reopening

ACAS office is open for selected services starting August 03. Face masks and social-distancing practices are required for all in-person services and events.  In-person services to resume: Acupuncture service for support program’s service users Outdoor social events (with COVID 19 prevention guidelines) Meeting in person with staff is by appointment only We continue providing virtual educational workshops, drop-ins, phone and email consultations.

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Are you looking to get on PrEP?

By Nick and Jarucha "Oh" Janmekha Hi! I’m Nick, and I’m the Nurse at Maple Leaf PrEP Clinic. I am thrilled to be writing my first blog post for ACAS. Over the years, I have received many questions about taking PrEP, so I’ve gathered all of the most commonly asked questions that you might have when considering whether or not you might want to start taking PrEP. First of all, what is PrEP? Simply put, PrEP is a pill you can take, where, if you take it daily and you happen to be exposed to HIV while you’re taking it, it will prevent you from becoming HIV positive. It is over 99% effective and is credited as a major reason why HIV rates have been dropping in recent years. Is PrEP covered by OHIP? Yes and no. In Ontario PrEP is fully covered by OHIP until the day you turn 25, after that OHIP no longer covers the cost of PrEP. The full cost of PrEP can be very expensive, but almost nobody actually pays this. There are so many clinic programs and insurance options now, so when people are on PrEP they’re able to get it for an affordable price or for free. It’s important to know that these programs also exist for people who don’t have OHIP. What are the steps to getting PrEP? Step one is to connect with a PrEP clinic. You don’t need a referral for these clinics, if you’re coming to my clinic all you need to do is either walk in or just email us (PrEP@mlmedical.com) and say you want to be on PrEP! Once you’re linked to a clinic, you’ll be asked to do some bloodwork and STI testing. When your lab results are in, you’ll have an [...]

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What should I do when I learn someone is interested in suicide?

By Jarucha "Oh" Janmekha Trigger warning – this post discusses suicidal feelings. “I can’t enjoy anything”, “it would be better if your life was without me”, “I can’t handle it anymore.” When you hear these kinds of phrases, it might be an early warning sign of suicide. You might know someone in a suicidal mood, and ask yourself “what should I do to help them?” Considering suicide could happen to anyone - it might be a friend, a co-worker, or a family member. There can be a lot of factors that lead people to contemplate suicide. In LGBTQ+ communities, according to the Centre for Suicide Prevention, 1 in 3 trans youth attempted suicide in 2015. Sometimes people won’t show any signs of suicidal ideation. There was even a viral TikTok suicide video where it didn’t look like the person was going to commit suicide. However, if you observe people who are thinking about suicide, you might be the one who can help them. You can use the TASC model, and here are 4 steps to engage with people who might be considering suicide: T- Tune in When you see a sign from someone, for example sitting alone and separate from the party, mentioning how disappointing their life is. Those signs can point to considering suicide, so tune in by paying attention or showing you care about them. A- Ask After you tune in, and you still think you might see a sign of suicidal ideation, you should ask directly in a calm, non-judgmental manner to show you want to hear their answers “are you considering suicide?” You can also ask about their thoughts. This person might feel like they can’t talk about the pain that they are in, so by asking directly you can create a safe space to [...]

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PinkDot TO 2021: #StopAsianHate is on this Sunday!!

#PinkDotTO is coming ! This year ACAS (Asian Community AIDS Services) is once again hosting a variety show PinkDot TO 2021: #StopAsianHate on Sunday, June 20, at 3:00 pm live streaming on the ACAS YouTube channel. Vong Show will be our host with a lot of performers and surprise guests. 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙆 𝙔𝙊𝙐𝙍 𝘿𝘼𝙔! Watch the livestream on June 20, 3pm -6pm on the ACAS Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/ACASAsianCommunityAIDSServices Support this event please go to https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/62049 http://acas.orgpinkdot-to/ for more info about PinkDot TO

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