Spring Fling
ReCharge
For Youth Living with HIV by Youth Living with HIV
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Positive Youth Outreach a program of
Favourite Friend of the Month...
MARA BROTMAN
She is an amazing ally who works at the Canadian HIV/ AIDS Information Exchange (CATIE) as the Ontario educator. She is the lovely person that has come and given a number of PYO Drop-In workshops and even came all the way out to Mansfield to do a body mapping workshop at the retreat. NICE! Mara is also a member of the PYO Advisory Committee and was a facilitator in teh new Loving Me Loving You workshop series. She’s great, and is always dressed to impress. Thanks Mara!!!
Hey PYOers this is another fabulous edition of Recharge. In this issues - Spring Fling we have some exciting interviews with long time PYOers who are going back to school, having babies and getting things done. We also have some fun suggestions on what to do in toronto when you’ve got little money and a ww talk about what we think harm reduction is to us. Once again if you ever want to submit any art work, poetry, drawings, articles, you name it we’ll publish it - as long as it is not hateful or discriminatory in anyways. Of course sometimes we get angry and that’s cool, that’s allowed in here. So vent away. Please send all your submissions to jwhitbread@actoronto. org or drop them off at the office with the staff. If you ever want to help out with the zine in any capacity its here for you. to run with.
PYO and TYT Valentines Day Dance. Wednesday, Thanks to Our February 9th Friends at Trans 5- 9pm Youth Toronto for @ The 519 hosting a most Church lovely Valentines Street. Party! See you at teh Spril Fling in May. Look for details...
PYO and TYT Valentines Day Dance. Wednesday,
Duncan from ACT talks to PROUD FM about our Positive Youth Outreach program! http://twaud.io/qfGB
PYO Drop In’s GROUND RULES • WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS STAYS IN VEGAS • NO RUMOR MILL MONGERS • RESPECT GROUP BOUNDARIES • NO “OUTSIDERS”, UNLESS INVITED • NO ATTENDANCE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SUBSTANCES, EXCEPT MEDICINAL MARIJUANA - BUT KEEP YOUR WEED PERSONAL • RESPECT PEOPLE’S PERSONAL SPACE • NO PETS, PEANUTS, OR PEANUT BUTTER • ZERO TOLERANCE ON HARASSMENT AND AGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
LOVING LOVING ME YOU Positive Yout h Outreach (PYO) has de four-part w veloped a ne orkshop seri w es that will focu gaining an be s on youth tter unders tanding of liv ing with HIV . Together as peers, we w ill br ainstorm way with our stat s to beat st us, and let ou igma, feel co r loved ones nfident ourselves, th into our lives en share with . W e will learn th e people we ab evening will out care most ab give particip out. The final ants an oppo friend, part rt un ity to bring ner...) into th a loved one e group to co (family, mplete the circle. To find out m ore about th is series plea Jessica at jw se contact PY hitbread@ac O: toronto.org or 416-340 -8484 ext. 26 5
HIV 101
MARCH 2
HEALTHY LIVING MARCH 9
DISCLOSURE & Negotiation
MARCH 16
All workshops take place at PYO, on the fourth floor of ACT. Dinner and TTC tokens provided. Advance registration required.
COMPLETING THE CIRCLE
MARCH 23
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Positive Yo uth Outre ach a program of
This is already up and going but it will be offered in the fall as well. We just want you to know that it is super fun and for you to get the just of what you have to look forward to come September.
What is Harm Reduction to
PYO
ers...
“ I only go out with a pretertermined amount of cash on me, I don’t bring my bank cards, credit cards, any kind of cashible money. But I know if I got out and if I have the urge to drink more I WILL spend the money” “when I’m in the bathhouse I practice harm reduction by having sex with 1 guy 4 times, instead of 4 guys 1 time each.” “I never buy drugs,. Sure I do them but my rule is that I don’t buy them.” “ You can only gain so much weight in one day. When I feel like pigging out I eat everything bad in one shot.” “ I make out with everyone but I take few people home with me. I feel that kissing is my way opf practicing harm reduction and still feeling good about my sexuality”
Being a Positive Yummy Mommy!
Eleven years ago, I was 17 years old. I was sitting in my doctor’s office and my mom turned to me and said “I hope you’re not.” The doctor walked in and said “you’re HIV positive,” and I cried so hard. All my dreams were out the window. I didn’t think I’d get married, have children. At 17 I didn’t think I’d be HIV positive. 2 years ago , just before my 27th Birthday, I gave birth to a scrumptiously, deliciously, beautiful baby girl. She’s sooooooo cute!!! Up to the point of getting pregnant, I had been really lucky & never needed to start meds – my counts were always great.
Once I found out I was pregnant, I needed to start meds after I was about 4 months pregnant. I hated starting them. I felt defeated, I thought I would be lucky and go my whole life without them... I cried, but it was for my baby’s life - sooooo..... When I found out I was pregnant ~ I learned about the Teresa Group. To be thinking about medication and the cost of baby formula ~ cause you can’t breastfeed if you’re pregnant ~ was WOW!!! Overwhelming ~ to say the least! If it wasn’t for them ~ it would be insane... I don’t know how other women who don’t have HIV can even afford baby formula ~ it is sooo expensive! So I’m totally grateful for their assistance, cause even ODSP doesn’t give you enough money to afford it. When I gave birth to my daughter, she had to take meds about 4 times a day every 6 hours for 8 months...that was fun sleeping at 3 in the morning when feeding my girl. She was a preemie & had to be feed every 4 or 6 hours, so it matched up with the meds. I stayed on meds after giving birth until I talked to my doctor about 2 days later and only then did I stop meds. It was important to talk to my doctor first cause I know others aren’t that lucky. A lot of people ask why I’m not on meds & why isn’t my daughter HIV positive - how is that possible??? I was kinda prepared if my daughter was positive & if the doctors said she’s positive I wouldn’t feel any different... you have to prepare yourself for that. I do worry about how long I will live; will I see her graduate; get married; have kids; if I will tell her I’m positive... I guess I’ll see when she’s older & decide then. article by J. B. ATIE: y check out C c n a n g re p d IV an l rmation on H gnancy. shtm fo re /p in re IV o H h m it r o W **F iving atie.ca/eng/L http://www.c
INTERVIEW WITH AN ARTIST This is a short interview with Andre who is a long time PYO volunteer and one of the main artistic contributors for the PYO zine. J: Who are you? A: I’m Andre Rollox. I was born in here but, I’m part Italian and Guianese. I connect mostly with my Italian roots. Most of my family lives there still. J: What do you do at PYO? A: I don’t do nothing around here...hehe...sorry. I help the staff prepare for the weekly drop in feast. I am also the resident artist. From my point of view art is anything. J: Can you tell me a bit about the art you do? A: I like to do portraits, and sketching things that are in my head. I have a photographic memory so things stay in my brain for a while. It is easy. J: Is there anything that you like drawing the best? A: No...I just like drawing. Anything is good to me. J: I see that you’re very talented, where did get all your skills? A: From going for 3 months of art classes at George Brown College. I started to do a portrait in the second class and just kept going from there. I am looking for models if anyone is interested. Can I put that in here? J: Yeah, sure why not? There are lots of cute PYOers...hehe. So what do you think about the zine? A: Its nice...I like how it is a magazine that promotes other people’s work, especially poz youth. J: Thanks for all the hard work Andre and the great drawings for the zine. A: Ok. You’re welcome.
Places and Things You Can Do For Under $10 Author/Editor: Keith Showers Ideas and Suggestions compiled by members of Positive Youth Outreach Thursday Night DropIn! Free: Cabbage Town Festival, BuskerFest, PWA Picnic, Caribana, Taste of the Danforth, Gay Pride Festival, Latin Fest, Walking on the Beach. Taste of Italy, Biking, Jogging @ Allan Gardens, Afro Fest, Chinese New Years, Nuit Blanche, Skating @ Nathan Phillips Square, Santa Clause Parade, Video Games, Online Movies, Drum Circle, Fireworks, Canada Dry Festival of Fire, Art Gallery of Ontario, Fireworks @ Exhibition Place, Cruising Ground @ Queens Park, High Park, Fireworks @ Ashbridges Bay, The Waterfront, Nathan Phillip’s Square on New Year’s Eve, Concert’s @ Dundas Square, Cherry Beach Under $5: Coffee with Friends, Hot Dog Dates, Tuesday’s @ Popeye’s, McDonald’s , Rainbow Clinic, Dollar Store, Swimming @ Riverdale Park, Toonie Tuesday’s @ KFC, Bathhouse’s during Happy Hour, Internet Cafe, , St. Patrick’s Day Parade (with a beer) Under $10: TTC Day Pass, Toronto Islan, Subway Tokens, Movies on Tuesday, Toronto Film Festival, Medicinal Compassion Clinic, Royal Botanical Gardens, LCBO, Skating @ Nathan Phillip’s Square, Royal Ontario Museum, Maple Leaf Square, The Winerack, C.A.L.M., Beer Store, Peep Show, Toronto Island Ferry (Summertime), Ontario Science Centre, O’Grady’s, Lottery Tickets, Making Baked Good’s with Friends/Family, Free Chinese Shuttle Bus to Casino and spend under $10, Hosting Dinner’s for Friend’s, Buying Snacks/Drinks while Bike Riding
Disclosure can be the toughest thing abotu being HIV posi-
tive. Sometimes it seems easier than others, and other times it just really, really sucks. No matter what the occation it is never fun, and often really difficult. I have been living with HIV and have spent many hours crying over fears related to disclosure. Further more, I am paranoid about being called a criminal if I do not disclosure in the right way to someone I want to have sex with...or even make out with. IT sucks, and it hurts, and I wish I didn’t have to deal with it every day of my life.
Above is an image that was drawn by a youth during the Loving Me Loving Loving You workshop. Together we created timelines of when we were hoping to disclosure our HIV status to the different people in our lives. we also talked about our challenges, and sucesses in disclosure - in which there were many. It was really nice to hear and learn from the experiences of my peers. Sometimes we forget that I am not in this alone in living with HIV. I’m glad that I have PYO to turn to when I need to talk about things.
“Who is Positive Youth Outreach (PYO)?” you may ask. We are a peer-driven program of the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT), dedicated to providing peer-based support services and programs to people under the age of 30 who are living with HIV. One of the services PYO offers is a weekly social support drop-in for any HIV-positive youth under 30. We share experiences, information and support each other. There is always a meal and we have weekly activities such as workshops, art or movies. The drop-in happens every Thursday from 4:00 to 8:00 pm @ PYO.
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TTC tokens are available for attendees.
Positive Youth Outreach
If groups aren’t your thing – PYO also offers one-on-one peer support with an HIV-positive peer.
a program of
To find out more, call 416-3408484 ext. 281 or 265, or visit PYO’s website at www.positiveyouth.com. Positive Youth Outreach (PYO) 399 Church Street, 4th Floor (southeast corner of Church and Carlton Streets) Toronto, ON M5B 2J6 Phone: 416-340-8484 ext. 281 Fax: 416-340-8224 E-mail: pyo@actoronto.org Website: positiveyouth.com