Women’s Community Development
 

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

Training and Workshops

Are you a service provider or community organization looking to build your capacity? The Women’s Program provides capacity-building training and workshops to enhance skills for supporting women who are living with HIV or face systemic risk of contracting HIV. Workshops can be tailored to the needs of your group.

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Training and workshop topics include but are not limited to:

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• Women and HIV in Ontario (HIV basics)

• Pregnancy and Parenting with HIV

• Creating Safe Spaces for Women living with HIV

• HIV and Stigma

• HIV Disclosure

• Women and Harm Reduction

• Women, HIV, and Gender-Based Violence

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Events

Do you have an upcoming event that you would like THRIVE’s Women’s Program to be involved with? Contact codamtten@thrivehiv.ca with the event details and details on how you would like the program to be involved. Disclaimer: The Women’s Program is not able to accommodate every event request, and will communicate if an event is not within program capacity.

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HIV PREVENTION FOR WOMEN

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PrEP and Women

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Prep (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is a drug that people who are not living with HIV can take to prevent HIV infection. The medication is taken before coming into contact with HIV to prevent HIV from establishing infection inside the body. Research has shown PrEP to be over 90% effective when taken consistently and correctly. PrEP does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or pregnancy.

Interested in starting PrEP? Thrive has an in-person PrEP clinic once a month. If you are interested in coming to the in-person clinic, would like to be connected with a virtual clinic, or would like support with exploring PrEP coverage options, contact the Women’s Program at womensprevention@acckwa.com or 519-570-3687 ext. 318.

To learn more about PrEP for Women click here.

 

PEP and Women

PEP (Post-exposure prophylaxis) is a medication course to help prevent the transmission of HIV to a person who may have been recently exposed to the virus. For PEP to work, it needs to be started as soon as possible, and no later than 72 hours after exposure. Studies show that PEP can be up to 80% effective at preventing HIV transmission if taken as prescribed. PEP does not prevent pregnancy or other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). PEP can be accessed at your local emergency room.

To learn more about PEP for Women click here.

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HIV Self Test

We are happy to announce that we are now providing FREE anonymous rapid HIV self-testing in our office. Drop by our office for Free, private HIV self-test in a safe, judgement-free space. No names, no pressure—just care, support, and community.

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Click the link below to book an appointment online. If you would like to have your test facilitated by someone in a specific program, choose from the appropriate program.

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BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT ONLINE

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To book by phone, call us at 519-570-3687 or text/call 519-635-2437 during business hours. At THRIVE one of our trained staff members can walk you through the test step-by-step, provide you with support, and answer any questions you might have.

If you are looking for full STI screening, please visit our STI testing resource page.​

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COMMUNITY DROP-INS

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​We are where you are. No appointment needed. Just Drop in and connect.​

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WHAI’S STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY – SEX WORK DECRIMINALIZATION

 

The Women and HIV / AIDS Initiative (WHAI) stands in solidarity with sex workers and sex workers’ rights initiatives across Ontario in support of full sex work decriminalization.

We acknowledge the harmful impact of criminalization through laws such The Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act in 2014, Bill 251 (Combating Human Trafficking Act, 2021), federal immigration regulations prohibiting migrant people from doing sex work, Ontario’s Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy (2021), municipal bylaws that promote the racial and social profiling of outdoor sex workers and indoor sex work establishments, and the over policing and under protection of sex workers in all areas of the sex industry.

We acknowledge the structural factors of stigma, inequality, and discrimination that, combined with criminalization and profiling, contribute to HIV risk, poverty, a lack of housing, and the erosion of sex workers’ rights, freedom, safety, and health.

We acknowledge the leadership of sex workers in the HIV/AIDS movement and in sexual health advocacy across Ontario and beyond.

We acknowledge the racist, sexist, anti-migrant, and anti-sex work ideology underscoring laws and policies.

We acknowledge that the elimination of laws and policies that fuel violence would substantially reduce sex workers’ risk for HIV and STBBIs transmission.

We stand in solidarity with sex workers and allies across Ontario and beyond to dismantle these systems. We support the actualization of policies that uphold the rights and safety of sex workers in our communities, including the full decriminalization of sex work, meaning the repeal of laws criminalizing sex workers, clients, and third parties.

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