Category: Across BC - Page 2 - Health Initiative for Men (HIM)

06/23/2021

Provincewide Resource Launched for GBQ men and gender diverse people

A New Comprehensive Guide for Navigating a Queer World

VANCOUVER, BC – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23^rd, 2021 – Health Initiative for MEN (HIM) today announced the launch of More Than Sex, a new provincewide resource that aims to improve the sexual health and wellbeing for communities of GBQ men and gender diverse people in British Columbia. HIM invites members of the communities of GBQ men and gender diverse people and anyone who wants to learn about the queer health experience to visit www.MoreThanSex.ca. @HIMtweets, @HealthInitiativeforMen, @instahim.

More Than Sex is a guide about queer sex, diverse bodies, health and GBQ men and gender diverse people cultures and communities. It shares information to help navigate a queer world, explores sexual health and starts conversations about some of the forces and experiences that shape the lives of queer people. The new online resource will also connect people to organizations across B.C. that can offer specialized health and wellness services unique to the needs of GBQ men and gender diverse people.

Sections of More Than Sex: Navigating a Queer World, Sexual Activities, Sexual Health Strategies, Mental and Social Health, HIV and STIs 101, Local Resources and a Glossary.

More Than Sex prioritizes language and content that is more inclusive and speaks to the experiences of community members who are too often excluded from sexual health resources aimed at cis gay men. More than any other resource HIM has released in the past, More Than Sex speaks to the diversity of experiences and needs of community members. The resource will maintain an updated glossary to help unpack some of the more specific language used within the resource and broader community.

“Health Initiative for Men is committed to strengthening diversity and inclusion within its own organization and across the province of British Columbia,” Greg Oudman, Executive Director of Health Initiative for Men said. “In 2018, after extensive consultation with the communities we engage with, we adopted an ambitious five-year plan that is guiding all of our work. More Than Sex is a fundamental platform in this vital work, because its development relies heavily on the lived experiences of trans, non-binary and Two-Spirit communities. More Than Sex successfully helps us to understand many aspects of the queer world we live in, through the lens of gender diverse queer people. This perspective has been largely missing in our work, and is part of our responsibility to ensure that the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice play a central role in how we reflect ourselves and serve these communities.”

More Than Sex is rooted in the guidance, leadership, and hard work of a Steering and Leadership Committee. This committee is made up of community leaders who are trans men, non-binary, and/or Two-Spirit. From the specific language to the style of the graphics and the original characters featured, this new initiative was shaped by these community leaders who shared their time, energy, and experience to help guide the development of More Than Sex.

Commenting on the launch, Program Manager of Health Promotion, Simon Rayek said: “It was really from the expertise and leadership of our trans, non-binary, and Two-Spirit communities that we arrived at the understanding that something that has been wanted- and has been missing- is a resource that speaks to community members on as many ends of the gender spectrum, regardless of body or identity as possible. More Than Sex helps us broaden the umbrella under which we speak about queer sex, health and our communities.” Health Initiative for Men (HIM) is a peer-based organization that serves the unique sexual, mental, social, and physical health needs of GBQ men and gender diverse people in Vancouver’s Lower Mainland and across British Columbia. HIM operates five health centres offering sexual health testing (including vaccination, treatment and prevention options), as well as professional counselling, sexual health education, and support groups. HIM is dedicated to strengthening the health and wellness of GBQ men and gender diverse people through trusted, tailored, targeted health promotion.

04/26/2021

Across BC | Indigenous Peoples

Apology to Indigenous Communities

For over 12 years, Health Initiative for Men (HIM) has played a role in promoting GBQ men and gender diverse people health through the translation of knowledge and provision of custom-tailored programs to the communities of GBQ men and gender diverse people on Coast Salish territories in the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health Authority regions. We work as peers to GBQ men and gender diverse people in local communities because we understand how it feels to be excluded from healthcare. However, in the case of our activities related to raising awareness of and increasing access to PrEP for all GBQ men and gender diverse people, we have failed Indigenous (inclusive of First Nations, Inuit and Métis) people who are also members of these communities.

In February 2016, Health Canada approved Truvada (tenofovir and emtricitabine) as a viable method of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), preventing people who are HIV negative from becoming HIV positive. Although the use of the medication was approved by Health Canada, it was not made readily available through BC’s Medical Service Plan. However, the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA), whose work involves providing health and wellness programming for First Nations people in BC, had already approved the medication on their provincial medication formulary, which meant that PrEP was available immediately (February 2016) to any First Nations members who were residents of BC. In addition to this, Inuit residents were also eligible to receive PrEP at no cost through the NIHB (Non-Insured Healthcare Benefits) program.

HIM realized it did not take sufficient action in promoting PrEP among First Nations and Inuit people who were eligible for PrEP at no cost. We did not conduct adequate outreach and relationship building during this time. By not including information specific to First Nations and Inuit people in the first iteration of our PrEP resource, we acknowledge that we have caused harm to First Nations and Inuit people who also identify as gay, bi, queer, Indigiqueer, trans and Two-Spirit. By not doing this work sufficiently, we have contributed to systemic racism, discrimination, and the diminishment of Indigenous lives. HIM cannot undo the injury inflicted on these communities by our silence and lack of appropriate action.

To make reparations, restore relationships, and demonstrate the value of the health and well-being of First Nations and Inuit community members, HIM will:

publish this apology, which has been endorsed by all levels of leadership at the organization;
work to ensure the effective promotion of PrEP among Indigenous gay, bi, queer, Indigiqueer, trans and Two-Spirit people;
increase intentional involvement of Indigenous GBQ men and gender diverse people and their communities in the work that HIM does;
commit to engaging FNHA and explore a mutually intentional partnership to ensure that all future work is done collaboratively;
seek out and learn from examples of positive reconciliation efforts by others, including opportunities to unlearn and change our thinking and behaviours.

HIM leadership recognizes and regrets the mistakes we have made, acknowledges them and apologizes for them. We have taken steps to understand their impact and commit to future work as outlined above. HIM is committed to listening to feedback and suggestions from Indigenous communities as well as peer organizations involved in supporting Indigenous communities.

HIM Executive Director
Aaron @checkhimout.ca

HIM Board Chair
[email protected]

07/02/2020

Across BC | All Populations

NEW ONLINE RESOURCE TO UNPACK THE COMPLEXITY OF “OUTNESS” AMONG GBT2Q MEN

Vancouver, BC: Today, Health Initiative for MEN (HIM) – a local non-profit society that aims to strengthen the health and well-being of gay, bisexual, transgender, Two-Spirit and queer (GBT2Q) men -announced the launch of a new intervention to help men who are “less out” about their sexuality, find information and tools to safely and confidentially access mental, sexual and social health in the community.

The multi-pronged intervention (OutsideIN) includes a website resource and accompanying awareness campaign which aim to build empathy and understanding among the GBT2Q community toward the fact that outness is different for everyone. “We at HIM want to let guys, who are less out, know that they don’t have to be out in order for them to access the/our tools that are designed to help them to take control of their own sexual health” Said Aaron Purdie, Associate Director, Programs and Interventions.

Commenting on the launch, Program Manager, Health Promotion Simon Rayek Said: “We need to simultaneously recognize the unique stress related to being less out while understanding that coming out is not the singular solution. Between 10 and 25 percent of men who have sex with men in Canada say they have never ‘come out’ to anyone, including their doctors. These men experience a number of health inequities compared to their more “out” counterparts; they have lower sexual health literacy, lower testing rates for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, weaker social networks, higher rates of social isolation, and increased stress levels. We also know that these inequities are often unaddressed by health organizations whose reach may be more-or-less limited to GBT2Q who are out enough to openly inquire about and utilize health services aimed at sexual minority populations.”

HIM invites members of the GBT2Q community and the broader society to visit www.outness.ca to learn more and start unpacking the complexities of outness.