Promote Health. Build Community. End HIV and AIDS. |
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ACT is back on Instagram
After our account was suspended earlier this month for the safer sex content that we share, ACT has created a new Instagram account so we can keep supporting the well-being of our community. You can find us on Instagram at @ACT.Toronto or by clicking the link below.
Follow us and share with your friends!
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"Welcome to ACT Country"
ACT at Pride
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ACT marched at the Pride Parade on Sunday, June 25. It was a sunny day, as our contingent of over 70 marchers made their way down Yonge Street singing and dancing!
Building from a retro advertisement ACT ran in the early 2000s, "Welcome to ACT Country" was the theme as participants wore t-shirts promoting safer sex, handed out cowboy-themed stickers and and danced our flash dance "2 Be Loved" by Lizzo.
Thank you to everyone who showed up to walk with us, we had a blast and we hope you did too!
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For the second year in a row, Positive Youth Outreach (PYO) Run club came together under the guidance of Garbiel Jarquin, HIV+ running advocate. Gabriel took our PYOers through 6 weeks of weekly runs to train for Pride Run on Saturday June 24. Ten PYOers took part in Run Club, and six participated in the Pride Run.
From Marc, our PYO Coordinator, “Pride Run was another success this year for PYO! The rain didn’t stop us from getting out there to put our training to use and celebrate reaching our goals. A big thank you to Gabriel Jarquin for all of his support to PYO.”
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Pictured above from right to left: Gabriel Jarquin, Sam Katz (Director of Philanthropy at ACT), Marc Lombardo (PYO Coordinator), one of our PYO participants. |
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Your Mental Health Matters! |
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Our New Mental Health Initial Assessment |
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ACT offers a range of mental health services, including one-on-one counselling services, psycho-educational and support groups. All are free of charge. You can access these services to talk about a range of experiences including sexual health, mental health, and substance use. We are committed to trauma-informed, harm reduction based, anti-oppressive, and sex-positive practices to help empower our communities. |
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Since July 2023, we are using a stepped care approach to assess service users needs during our new Mental Health Initial Assessment. Our Stepped Care model offers:
- Commitment to our communities' main needs.
- Preventive and coordinated mental health support.
- Early intervention and effective access to mental health services.
Want to get more information or register to our Mental Health Services? Please email: [email protected] or visit our website through the link below.
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Update on HIVnow.ca
Since 2017 HIVnow.ca has been providing gay, bi, queer, and trans guys with invaluable information about PrEP and U=U while connecting them to providers and ongoing care. Whether it’s via using our online PrEP coverage calculators or risk assessment tool, thousands of users have accessed HIVnow to get PrEP faster.
Over the next several months HIVnow will undergo essential maintenance to enhance your overall experience. This temporary downtime is necessary to implement crucial updates and improvements to the platform and keep it running for years to come.
During this period of maintenance, you might experience limited access the web services at HIVnow.ca. Rest assured, we’ll be back up and running in no time! We understand the significance of having access to reliable information about PrEP, and we apologize for any inconvenience this temporary interruption may cause.
In the meantime, we encourage you to explore our supplementary PrEP page, designed to address your concerns and empower you to make informed decisions about your health at www.actoronto.org/prep. For more information about U=U and undetectable viral load, check out CATIE. We also suggest staying informed through reputable health resources and organizations.
If you have any PrEP inquiries or concerns, feel free to reach out to the PrEP Access Coordinator at [email protected]
We appreciate your understanding and patience during this maintenance period. Our primary goal is to offer you an even better and more informative experience once the updates are complete.
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Upcoming Programs and Events
Thanks to the support of the community, ACT can offer a wide range of group supports for people living with and affected by HIV in Toronto. Below is a list of some group programs and events that we are hosting this month. Click below for more information:
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Thursday August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Friday August 4, 11, 18, 25
ACT Office Closure - August 7 (Civic Holiday)
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International Overdose Awareness Day - August 31
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Stay Connected
Find the most up-to-date info on ACT programs and services as well as HIV, sexual and mental health info on the ACT website. You can also follow ACT on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
As a service user, volunteer, staff member, or donor, we would also love to hear from you. Is there something you'd like to see in the newsletter?
Drop us a line at [email protected] or again, find us on social media at any of the buttons below.
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