Vancouver Island PWA Society

02/28/2026

Today we observe international HIV is Not a Crime (HINAC) Awareness Day. Today and every day, the Canadian Coalition to Reform HIV Criminalization (CCRHC) recognizes the brave advocacy of people living with HIV worldwide who speak out in the face of persecution, including through prosecution.

HINAC Day, launched in the United States in 2022 through the joint efforts of the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and the SERO Project, is designed to bring people together to stand in unity against the harms and violence of the criminalization of people living with HIV. HINAC Day has been acknowledged in Canada since 2024.

In this country, people living with HIV can be charged with aggravated s*xual assault, listed on the s*x offender registry, and spend years in prison for allegedly not telling their s*xual partner of their HIV status in certain circumstances. This includes instances where there was little to no possibility of transmission, no intent to transmit, and no actual transmission.

More than 220 people in Canada have been prosecuted for alleged HIV non-disclosure since 1989, with Black men vastly overcharged, and Indigenous people (including women) and gay men facing greater risk of prosecution. In addition to potential imprisonment, charges under these laws can also result in barriers to housing and employment, social exclusion, increased risks of violence and abuse, and psychological harms.

Until the law is changed, everyone in Canada who is living with HIV is forced to live in fear of criminalization, whether they are ever prosecuted or not. Criminalization reinforces and codifies the ongoing stigma experienced every day by people living with HIV in Canada.

Read more: www.hivcriminalization.ca/media-releases/

02/25/2026

In My Day: Community Gathering at the University Club and Phoenix Theatre, UVic.

Join us for a free afternoon and evening of connection, activities, and a special viewing of In My Day, a verbatim theatre production based on the interviews collected from the community-based HIV In My Day oral history project with 100+ long-term survivors and caregivers from across British Columbia.

When: Saturday March 14, 2026 (non-alcoholic refreshments and hot dinner provided)
Where: University Club and Phoenix Theatre, University of Victoria
RSVP: https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/IMDCommunityGathering (complete once for each person attending, by March 1 )

02/21/2026

We are amalgamating with the amazing folks at Vancouver Island PWA Society, effective April 1. This partnership unites two of BC's HIV organizations to ensure long-term stability and peer support for people living with HIV. All frontline services will remain the same at both Ribbon and VPWAS, with the opportunity to ensure better access to Ribbon's current services, like free therapy for newcomer women living with HIV and their families, for people throughout the Islands.

Learn more at https://vpwas.com/ribbon-community-and-vpwas-announce-amalgamation-to-strengthen-hiv-support-across-the-lower-mainland-and-vancouver-island/

02/03/2026

01/20/2026

Attn: VPWAS Members

Vancouver Island Persons Living with HIV/AIDS Society
Special General Meeting
Date: Monday, February 2, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM (PST)

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You are invited to attend a Special General Meeting to VOTE on the following resolution to approve the amalgamation of VPWAS and Ribbon Community Society.

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Vancouver Island Persons Living with HIV/AIDS Society amalgamate with Ribbon Community Society, per the terms of the amalgamation agreement dated January 19, 2026.

To view the Amalgamation Agreement, click here:

http://vpwas.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/VPWAS-Ribbon-Amalgamation-Agreement.pdf

If you wish to attend the meeting, RSVP to info@vpwas.org.

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Vancouver Island Persons Living with HIV/AIDS Society and Ribbon Community Society (founded as AIDS Vancouver in 1983) are pursuing amalgamation. This amalgamation will ensure the continuation of a peer leadership within the HIV response throughout the Islands and create new opportunities to support and empower communities living with - and impacted by - HIV and HIV stigma. This new chapter as an amalgamated Society will continue our shared work to pull together the past, present, and future of the HIV response in BC.

Over the past several months, VPWAS and Ribbon have collaborated closely on services for people living with HIV. We are confident that amalgamation will allow for a continuation of each organization's strengths, programs, and services, including peer navigation available through Penny and Numa, and the women's group.

Throughout the month of February, VPWAS and Ribbon will be working with our memberships to complete the legal process of amalgamating these two Societies, expecting this to be effective April 1, 2026. We will continue to provide updates throughout this process as we amalgamate as Ribbon Community Society and ensure ongoing peer leadership in the future of the HIV response.

VPWAS Board Chair Robert Birch (Robert.Birch@vpwas.org) and Ribbon Community ED Sarah Chown (SarahC@RibbonCommunity.org) are both available to answer questions and provide support through this change.

01/18/2026

from Ribbon Community

Throughout 2025, we connected with people living with HIV across British Columbia to identify top policy issues for Ribbon to prioritize in our GIPA/MEPA program. With three areas now identified - access to primary and specialist care, engagement of people living with HIV in decisions that about HIV, and HIV-responsive provincial support programs - we are looking to reconnect with community members on these topics. This online conversation will be a chance to add personal stories and perspectives as we work to bring these conversations to the provincial government.

To confirm your spot in our Zoom session, email Wayne at WayneC@RibbonCommunity.org, text or phone at 604-347-9878, or register now at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/usiVh8LvRG2k7VjYT4b4xg #/registration

01/14/2026

Important information about VPWAS - https://mailchi.mp/cbbc37b87fbe/vpwas-update-10614398

01/07/2026

There is a reported increase of Syphilis in the Victoria area and on Vancouver Island.

If you have syphilis, it’s common to not notice any symptoms. Syphilis is known as the great imitator since it appears to be like many other infections or conditions, and is difficult to diagnose. Syphilis is treated with prescription antibiotics, usually through injection by a health care provider. Testing is usually done with a blood sample or a swab.

Make s*xual health screening part of your healthcare routine.

www.smarts*xresource.com - Find your nearest clinic and information on safer s*x

www.getcheckedonline.com - Internet-based STI testing services

​GetCheckedOnline is a new and easy way to test for s*xually transmitted infections (STI) in British Columbia, Canada.

01/07/2026

Start 2026 with the most up-to-date information on the HIV response in Canada with our recent report - The State of HIV in Canada: Rights, Progress, and Unfinished Work:

https://www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/state-of-hiv-2025/?lang=en

Our report recommends — among many clear steps to be taken — that the Government of Canada immediately expand access to harm reduction services that reduce the transmission of HIV, such as needle and syringe distribution programs and supervised consumption services in prisons and wider communities.

Additionally, the federal government should be doing much more to ensure equitable access to PrEP across Canada, particularly in remote and rural areas. There is much work to be done to end HIV as a public health threat in Canada, and this new report provides a blueprint.

Beyond the need to scale up these services, we are again calling on the Government of Canada to initiate a range of Criminal Code reforms to decriminalize people living with HIV, s*x workers, and people who use drugs. These must be made in line with scientific evidence and human rights standards. And until we see real changes, people will continue to be driven away from health and social service supports that they need to be well.

The State of HIV in Canada details Canada’s efforts to date in working towards the 95-95-95 targets, along with a “report card” outlining what’s happening (or not!) in every province and territory in Canada where data is available.

01/07/2026

Our 2025 Year in Review is now live.

📈 Rising prosecutions
⚖️ Courts, cases, and consequences
📉 Reform gaps despite clear HIV science
🌍 Global patterns you need to understand

Read the full analysis in our newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/hivjustice.net/hiv-justice-news-7-january-2026) along with all the latest HIV justice news, cases and resources, or on the HIV Justice Network's website (hivjustice.net)

01/05/2026

Next in Zoom meeting is on Monday, January 12th at 7pm
Contact penny@vpwas.org for more information.

Join women from Victoria and across Vancouver Island and the Gulf Island for VPWAS Positive Women’s Wellness Group.

This peer facilitator led group is open to all women living with HIV and or HCV on Vancouver Island and the Southern Gulf Islands.
Meetings take place twice a month, once in person (during a weekday at VPWAS Drop-in in Victoria) and once via Zoom! (evenings)

Please contact Penny for dates and location, at penny@vpwas.org or call 250.382.7927 and join our supportive community of women learning together how to manage our health in an interactive and enjoyable way.

11/14/2025

Barriers removed for couples in B.C. receiving disability assistance

Starting Dec. 1, 2025, couples where both members receive disability assistance will receive the same support allowance as they would if they were two single people.

In addition, beginning Jan. 1, 2026, couples where one partner has the Persons with Disabilities designation will also benefit from an increased annual earnings exemptions, allowing them to keep more of the money they earn

Read more:

Starting Dec. 1, 2025, couples where both members receive disability assistance will receive the same support allowance as they would if they were two single people.