Resources & Publications

• Multimedia Project
  
• Opt Out of eHealth Letter
  
• Information for People Diagnosed with HIV Booklet
• Advocacy Action Kits
• Living+ Magazine
• Healthy Living Manual
• Podcasts
• Treatment Publications
• BCPWA Society Brochures
• BCPWA Society Strategic Plan
• Retro Woman CD-ROM
• Positive Prevention Resources
• PARC Library

Multimedia Project

We know many HIV-positive individuals are accessing web based information these days so we thought it was time for us to create an online educational tool focusing on HIV treatment. The tool we created involves a discussion between physician and patient with numerous pop up messages used to reinforce some key concepts one should know about HIV and health. When you go into this online tool, you will also locate a resources section which allows viewers to find additional information about services in British Columbia and programs for newly diagnosed individuals. A glossary provides definitions of commonly used HIV related terms and health conditions. One can also find our treatment blog which makes the site interactive.

Click here to try out the project.

Please let us know what you think of it by taking this survey, or email zorans@bcpwa.org and let us know what you think of it.

Opt Out of eHealth Letter to Doctors

Here is the letter we promised in the Fighting Words article of living+ (Issue 57). Simply open this Word document, amend the appropriate names and dates and present to you doctor on your next visit.

[ DoctorsLetterNoConsent.doc ]

Information for People Diagnosed with HIV Booklet

This small booklet is designed for people who have recently been diagnosed with HIV. It answers some of the basic question many people ask when they first realize they are HIV positive, and points readers towards further information.

[read now]

Advocacy Action Kits

The new, online Advocacy Action Kits, created in March 2005, offer up-to-date information on welfare, seniors and current advocacy issues for persons with disabilities. The info sheets offer a simple, step-by-step approach, with downloadable forms for your convenience.

[ View Advocacy Action Kits ]

Living+ Magazine

magazine is an innovative, bi-monthly magazine that provides informative, current information on a broad range of HIV/AIDS topics including treatment, prevention, advocacy and other key issues.

[ More information ]

HEALTHY LIVING MANUAL

The fourth edition of the Healthy Living Manual (HLM) offers a range of information about living with HIV/AIDS, the basics for newly diagnosed, treatment information, lifestyle choices, advocacy issues, risk reduction tips, end-of-life planning and community resources.

Healthy Living Manual booklet

The soft cover Healthy Living Manual is distributed free of charge to all BCPWA Society members and HIV-positive British Columbians. For shipments, we ask that the shipping be covered by the requester.

BCPWA will also provide Canadian AIDS service organizations and health care providers with copies for their HIV-positive clients and members at a cost of $10 per copy.

To receive a copy(ies) of the Healthy Living Manual, please email info@bcpwa.org or call 604.893.2209. Please state the the quantity of manuals you wish to receive, and your name, organization (if applicable), address and telephone number.

[ View Healthy Living Manual ]

Manual Updates

"Choosing an Initial Drug Regimen" (page 21):

The decision to begin antiretroviral therapy is an individual one. The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS recommends that treatment begin before your CD4 count falls below 350 cells. Decisions about starting treatment should also consider any liver, kidney or heart and lung problems, as well as whether there is infection with Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C. Treatment decisions should be made by considering your blood work (CD4, viral load, rate of CD4 decline) and your personal preferences. Treatment guidelines can change so always discuss your options about starting treatment with your physician.

"Antiretrovirals Chart" (page 20):

- Emtriva – emtricitabine FTC no longer applies
- Videx EC – didanosine EC – ddI no longer applies
- Agenerase – amprenavir – APV no longer applies
- Intelence -- etravirine TMC125 is a new non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors

Podcasts

Podcasts allow BCPWA to share information with our members, and others who are interested, across the province, the country and the world. Most of our podcasts are of forums and workshops that we hold in Vancouver on topics related to HIV treatment. If you have any comments, questions or feedback please email info@bcpwa.org

BCPWA Podcast: TIP.01
Title: What’s New in 2007
Date: 10/03/07
Location: Chateau Granville, Vancouver

Summary: Three doctors are asked to respond to the question, what’s new in 2007 in HIV treatment? They each give a short presentation and then participants from the audience ask questions which are responded to by the doctors.

Right click here and select 'save target as' or 'save link as' to download
[ Notes ]

BCPWA Podcast: TIP.02
Title: The Face of AIDS
Date: 03/26/08
Location: Chateau Granville, Vancouver

Summary: A community forum on lypodystrophy and facial lipoatrophy, including presentations by Dr. Mary Ann Harris and Dr. Alastair Carruthers, and community discussion.

Right click here and select 'save target as' or 'save link as' to download

BCPWA Podcast: TIP.03
Title: You and Your Doctor
Date: 05/05/08
Location: Chateau Granville, Vancouver

Summary: A panel of BCPWA treatment volunteers lead discussion on the relationship you have with you doctor. With audience participation, the panel explores the inter-personal dynamics of a successful doctor/patient relationship.

Right click here and select 'save target as' or 'save link as' to download

Treatment Publications

• [ Antiretroviral Therapy in Women ] - Provides information on therapeutic drug monitoring for women, and common side effects experienced by women taking HIV medications
• [ Vitamins & Minerals ] - Provides information on vitamins and minerals important for persons living with HIV/AIDS.
• [ Easy to Read Pamphlets ] - Easy-to-read pamphlets on a variety of HIV/AIDS treatment-related issues.
• [ Crystal Meth ] - When someone you know uses crystal meth.

BCPWA BROCHURES

BCPWA SOCIETY STRATEGIC PLAN

BCPWA's last Strategic Plan covered the period 1995 to 2000. Since that time, numerous changes have taken place in the nature and extent of the HIV epidemic, in the health care and social service sectors and in the necessity to provide more comprehensive services to HIV positive persons. These factors led the Board of Directors of BCPWA in the Fall of 2003 to commence work on a new Strategic Plan, which would direct the work of the Society for the period April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2010.

To ensure that the new Strategic Plan proves to be the best plan possible for the Society, BCPWA encouraged the widest possible involvement of its members, volunteers, elected leadership and employees. Strategic planning meetings, which included all interested parties, were carried out over a period of eight months from October 2003 to May 2004, and out of these sessions arose four key themes that were identified as crucial components of the 2005-2010 Strategic Plan. These themes are: Provision of Services to Members; Member Engagement; Volunteer Development and Engagement; and Collective Advocacy.

The Society is committed to further enhancing and developing its services to members, to increasing the levels of member engagement with the Society, to provide increased volunteer training and development opportunities, and to extend its collective advocacy efforts on behalf of the membership.

The BC Persons With AIDS Society's Strategic Plan 2005-2010 was approved by the Board of Directors on May 26, 2004 and will guide and inform the work of the Society over this period.

Retro Woman: Navigating Advanced Treatment Information for Women CD-Rom

The Retro Woman CD-Rom provides advanced treatment information that is specific to HIV-positive women.

Positive Prevention Resources

• A Vancouver Guide to Sex Positive

  The Sex Positive guide is an innovative prevention resource targeted to gay men that contains information, tips and resources to support a healthy and fulfilling sex life for people living with HIV.

  Whether you are looking for ideas on safer club drug use, strategies for negotiating safer sex, or information on local meeting places for sex, a Vancouver guide to sex positive will be a great resource for you to use and share.

  [ Sex Positive Guide ]

  To obtain a copy of the Sex Positive guide, please email prevention@bcpwa.org or call 604.893.2225.

• It's Complicated Campaign

  BCPWA's first prevention campaign is targeted at HIV-positive gay men. Future BCPWA prevention initiatives will be targeted towards people from other groups. Health Canada and the [ Vancouver AIDS Memorial Society ] have provided some of the funding for this prevention campaign.

  This campaign explicitly includes positive gay men in the prevention messages, and is the first prevention campaign in Canada to do so. The campaign includes four posters and postcards for distribution in venues frequented by gay men. Each poster deals with a particular situation where gay men may face challenges in maintaining safer behaviours.

  The campaign is meant to encourage discussion about HIV between positive people, and in the community at large.

  Since the beginning of the epidemic, over 7,000 gay men in British Columbia have been infected with HIV, and gay men remain one of the major groups at risk for HIV.

  • [ Baths Poster ]
    The anonymity of the bath scene allows guys to engage in sexual activity without discussing HIV. Negative guys and positive guys often make different assumptions about the other person's HIV status when HIV-status isn't discussed: negative guys tend think their sex partner must be negative, and positive guys tend think their sex partner must be positive.

  • [ Party 'n Play Poster ]
    Gay men in the leather scene can be at risk at play parties, especially when sexual activity is combined with drug use. Research consistently shows that alcohol or drug use can predispose people to taking risks.

  • [ Take Risks Poster ]
    Gay men, especially younger gay men, are at particular risk in new relationships. While younger men often start out using condoms in new relationships, after a short time they may stop using them before discussing HIV with their partners.

  • [ Outdoor Poster ]
    Like the baths, outdoor sex provides a level of anonymity for sexual activity, but unless guys are prepared for their park encounters, condoms may be even less available than at the baths.

• Vancouver Harm Reduction Manifesto

  This document details a number of guiding principals reflecting a harm reduction approach to drug addiction in Vancouver. The document and its principles were adopted by BCPWA Society in November 2000.

  • [ Vancouver Harm Reduction Manifesto ]

PARC Library

Find out what new books the PARC Library has to offer...

[ More Information ]