PEP
Can Stop You From Getting HIV
ACT LAUNCHES AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE COMMUNITY
ON THE USE AND ACCESSIBILITY OF ANTI-HIV MEDICATION
October 31, 2013 - Toronto - The AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) is
launching a new awareness campaign to educate gay, bi and trans men about the effectiveness of PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), an anti-HIV
medication that can potentially stop HIV infection within 72 hours of exposure when taken daily over four weeks.
Featuring bold typography that declares "PEP Can Stop You From Getting HIV" the campaign will launch during Halloween
outreach activities and includes posters, postcards and condom packs that will be distributed to bars, clubs and bathhouses along
Church Street. "It's important for the community to understand how to access treatment or what the options are for any future
exposure that might occur," says John Maxwell, ACT's Director of Programs and Services.
ACT supports the use of PEP for emergency situations (e.g. condom break during anal sex, or sexual assault) and notes that
it should not be seen as a replacement for other HIV prevention methods such as condoms or the exchange of clean needles/syringes. There
is no guarantee that PEP will prevent HIV infection, nor does it provide protection against other sexually transmitted infections.
That being said, PEP has the potential to stop HIV infection, and gay and bi men - the community still most affected by HIV in
Toronto - need to have accurate information about PEP and how they can access it.
* A detailed list of questions and answers regarding PEP and its availability and use can be found on the ACT website
at: actoronto.org/pep.
For more information please contact:
Kyle Greenwood
Manager of Executive Communications and Administration
AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT)
416-340-8484 ext. 282
E-mail: kgreenwood@actoronto.org
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About AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT)
Since 1983 ACT has developed programs and services that respond to the changing needs of the communities it serves.
ACT provides support services that empower men, women and youth living with HIV to achieve self-determination, informed decision-making, independence, and overall well-being. We do this through programs such as counselling, information provision, social support activities and programs that help people with HIV return to work.
ACT works with gay men, women and youth to increase their knowledge, skills and resilience in the face of HIV, and reduce HIV transmission. We work with our communities to develop information about HIV, provide outreach and education and create opportunities for community members to increase their skills.
Today in Toronto, more people than ever are living with HIV and every day two more people are infected with HIV. So our work is far from over. With your help, ACT can continue to take action against HIV/AIDS.
"Reproduced with permission - AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT)"
AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT)
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