Thursday, December 6, 2018
VOLUME 1 I ISSUE 23
MERIDIANSOURCE.CA
Red toques brings AIDS to light TAYLOR WEAVER
EDITOR
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Residents dawning red toques could be seen making their way through downtown Lloydminster to show visual support for the 2018 AIDS Walk and those living with the disease. Starting at the Prairie North Plaza and continuing south on 50 St. to 44 St. before looping back north to the Residents in Recovery office at 4804 50 Ave., Monday’s walk was all about spreading awareness of HIV and AIDS and the threat it poses in western Canada. Saskatchewan had 177 newly diagnosed cases in 2017 alone and 36 newly-diagnosed people with AIDS. The province’s HIV rate of infection is 2.4 times higher than Canada’s 2016 rate of infection. Intravenous drug use is the most common and primary risk factor among newly-diagnosed people and more than 65,000 Canadians are living with HIV. With such high num-
Taylor Weaver Meridian Source Border City residents sporting red toques made their way through the downtown core on Monday for the 2018 AIDS Walk in partnership with Residents in Recovery Society.
bers, one in five of those infected don’t know they carry the disease. “The AIDS Walk is meant to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS,” said Tyler Lorenz, program director for the Residents in Recovery Society.
“(With) Saskatchewan’s rate of HIV 2.4 times the nation average rate, so it’s really important that we create some awareness about HIV and AIDS. For those that are already afflicted and those maybe partak-
ing in risky behaviours (intravenous drug use and sexual behaviour), HIV is completely treatable now, so individuals that do have HIV can go on to live fully normal lives as compared to what it was even 10 year ago, so it’s really impor-
tant that people recognize that.” With HIV rates increasing in many communities across Alberta and Saskatchewan, Lorenz noted one of the most powerful tools when it comes to future prevention is awareness
and discussion. “HIV affects a whole cross section of our community and traditionally was thought of as one part of the community, but now it affects pretty much everybody,” said Lorenz. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3