Regional HIV AIDS Connection

08/25/2025

Thank you to Harm Reduction Supplies for continuing to support RHAC’s harm reduction programming and our annual International Overdose Awareness Day event. Learn more about Harm Reduction Supplies at: harmreduction-supplies.com

Join us at Carepoint (446 York Street) this Friday on August 29 from 1-3 PM in honour of International Overdose Awareness Day.

08/22/2025

On International Overdose Awareness Day, we remember those we have lost and remain committed to supporting those we serve.

Between March 2024 and April 2025, our Carepoint Consumption and Treatment Service served 15,909 visits and treated a total of 266 overdoses. Our team also distributed a total 4,888 naloxone kits to help prevent overdoses in our community.

Everyone can . Learn more about how you can prevent and respond to an overdose with naloxone at: Ontario.ca/naloxone.

08/18/2025

Everyone can . In honour of International Overdose Awareness Day, we invite community to join us at Carepoint (446 York Street) on August 29 from 1-3 PM.

Come together in solidarity and compassion for those we have lost, and those we continue to support. There will also be a community fire on-site in partnership with OAHAS and Chippewa of the Thames.

Everyone has a role to play in ending overdose and making our community a safer, healthier place for all. Learn more about how you can prevent and respond to an overdose with naloxone at: Ontario.ca/naloxone.

08/12/2025

In 2024, approximately 20 Canadians lost their lives to the toxic drug crisis every day.*

Overdose does not discriminate. The devastating effects of this crisis impact everyone. We believe that every human being has the right to health, safety, and dignity—including people who use substances. RHAC’s harm reduction services are here to provide safe and supportive spaces and resources for people who use drugs.

Learn more about how our Carepoint program is helping to prevent overdose in our community: healthunit.com/carepoint

* Source: Government of Canada, 2025
(health-infobase.canada.ca/substance-related-harms/opioids-stimulants/)

08/07/2025

Join us for Regional HIV/AIDS Connection (RHAC)’s Annual General Meeting on Thursday, September 4 from 6-8 PM at the Goodwill Centre (255 Horton St. E, London). The event will be held in the Town Hall room on the third floor with a catered reception starting at 5:30 PM.

The theme of this year’s AGM is “Safer together, since 1985.” We look forward to gathering with community as we continue to celebrate RHAC’s 40th anniversary and reflect on the agency’s progress over the past fiscal year.

Please RSVP by August 22 to Morgan at marmour@hivaidsconnection.ca.

For Members Only: New and returning members must complete and submit Membership Applications no later than Monday, August 25. Please contact Morgan to learn more and (re)apply!

07/30/2025

Join the team! RHAC is hiring for the following opportunity:

• Multicultural HIV/AIDS Prevention Coordinator (Full-Time | From $43,500/year)

To learn more and apply by August 4 at 9 AM EST, please visit hivaidsconnection.ca/careers

07/30/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Friday for our third annual  Wellness Fair! In collaboration with , our Hepatitis C Care Team hosted the event on the front lawn of 602 Queens Avenue. The wellness fair brought over 360 community members together to learn more about preventing and treating hepatitis C. Participants had the opportunity to connect with local service providers and even beat the heat with help from an on-site ice cream truck. Our team was also able to sponsor free breakfast and lunch provided by St. Joe’s Café.

This year featured several local community partners, including: , , , .yows, , , , the Health Outreach Mobile Engagement (HOME) Team, , and members of RHAC’s Education and Carepoint teams. Thank you to all of our community partners for making this day a success!

The Hepatitis C Care Team is a partnership between RHAC and LIHC. We support populations at increased risk for hepatitis C to improve access to testing, care, and prevention. To learn more about the Hepatitis Care Team, visit: lihc.on.ca/programs/hepatitis-c-care-team/. You can also connect with our team by calling 519.660.0874 ext. 1280.

07/23/2025

Treatment cures over 95% of people with hepatitis C. About one in four people clear hepatitis C on their own, but most people need treatment to cure hepatitis C. If someone doesn’t clear the virus after six months, they have a chronic hepatitis C infection. Remember that the only way to know if you have hepatitis C is to get tested. If you have hepatitis C, talk to your nurse or doctor about your treatment options. Treatment comes in pill form, has few side effects and is usually taken for eight or 12 weeks. For most people, the cost of treatment is covered through public health insurance plans (provincial, territorial, or federal). Private insurance plans may also cover the cost of treatment. There is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C infection, and no one is immune to hepatitis C. Even if you have had hepatitis C before, you can get it again if the virus gets into your blood. You will need to be treated again if your body does not clear the virus on its own.

(This content was originally published by , Canada’s source for HIV and hepatitis C information. For more information about hepatitis C treatment, visit: catie.ca/essentials/hepatitis-c-basics.)

07/22/2025

You can have hepatitis C for many years without having symptoms or feeling sick, even though the virus may be injuring your liver. The only way to know if you have hepatitis C is to get tested. Knowing if you have hepatitis C early and getting cured means there is less time for your liver to become injured by the hepatitis C virus.

It takes two different blood tests to tell if you have hepatitis C: The first test is a screening or hepatitis C antibody test. It checks to see if you have ever had hepatitis C. The second test is a confirmatory or hepatitis C viral load test. It checks to see if you have hepatitis C right now. Sometimes both tests are done using blood collected at a single visit and sometimes you will need to return to provide a new blood sample for the second test. Talk to your nurse or doctor about getting tested for hepatitis C.
 
(This content was originally published by , Canada’s source for HIV and hepatitis C information. For more information about hepatitis C, visit: https://www.catie.ca/essentials/hepatitis-c-basics.)

07/21/2025

Did you know July 28 is ? Hepatitis C is an infection in the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus. Over time, the virus causes liver injury and scarring and can make you very sick. The hepatitis C virus gets into the blood through breaks in the skin or in the lining of the nose and mouth. Hepatitis C is a strong virus: it can survive in a tiny drop of blood that is too small to see and can live outside of the body for many days. In certain conditions, such as inside a syringe, the virus can survive for many weeks. This means dried blood can also pass the virus.
 
(This content was originally published by , Canada’s source for HIV and hepatitis C information. For more information about hepatitis C, visit: catie.ca/essentials/hepatitis-c-basics.)

07/16/2025

Rain or shine, our annual Wellness Fair is coming back to 602 Queens Avenue for ! On Friday, July 25, join us on the front lawn from 10 AM—12 PM for free ice cream and giveaways and learn more about preventing, treating, and testing for hepatitis C. This year, St. Joe’s Café will also be providing free breakfast and lunch courtesy of the Hepatitis C Care team.

The Hepatitis C Care Team is a partnership between RHAC and . We support populations at increased risk for hepatitis C to improve access to testing, care, and prevention. To learn more about the Hepatitis Care Team and the communities we serve, visit: lihc.on.ca/programs/hepatitis-c-care-team/

07/10/2025

Join us this Saturday at Palace Theatre for a recital of vocal works by Q***r composers to celebrate Pride!

We are delighted to welcome our friends from as they perform this weekend in Procunier Hall.

Please join us on Saturday, July 12 from 7-9 PM for Q***ring the Canon: A classical recital of Q***r composers by a cast of local Q***r musicians.

Featuring piano and vocal performances, the concert reclaims classical music as a part of Q***r history and culture. Free from some of the conservative traditions that have tried to define the classical music scene, this event is open to everyone as a celebration of Q***rness. Show your Pride at the Palace Theatre for a night of singing as we explore the contributions of q***r musicians throughout history!

The show is free to attend, but space is limited!

For accessibility and visitor information, please visit palacetheatre.ca