THE FACTS
The number of people living with HIV in Ontario has increased over the past decade. This is the result of improved HIV treatment, extended life expectancy, migration of people into Ontario, as well as new diagnoses.
LIMITATIONS IN THE DATA
Data collected during HIV testing has historically excluded Trans people as well as 2-Spirited and Non-Binary people. As such, those numbers are not reflected here; however, research has shown that Trans women, Non-Binary and gender-diverse people have been particularly impacted by HIV and data on Trans, Non-Binary, and gender-diverse people is beginning to become more inclusive since improved data collection began in 2018
NOTE:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a 23% decrease in HIV testing which may have missed some new diagnoses that would have otherwise been reported. As a result, new 2020 data should be taken with caution. To learn more about how to interpret 2020 data, please visit OHESI's blogpost Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on HIV Testing and Diagnoses in Ontario at ohesi.ca
Source link: https://www.ohesi.ca/a-snapshot-of-hiv-diagnoses-and-the-hiv-care-cascade-among-women-in-ontario/
WHAI & GENDER INCLUSION
WHAI seeks to be informed by and amplify the experiences of those who face structural discrimination and exclusion, impacting HIV risk and the health outcomes of those living with HIV. As such, our work focuses on engagement with cis and Trans women, 2-Spirited and Non-Binary Femme people who are living with HIV, African, Caribbean and Black (ACB), Indigenous, or newcomers, who use drugs or substances, have experiences with violence and / or have been / are incarcerated. Within these communities, our work includes those who are pregnant or parenting, living with different abilities, and span from young adults to seniors.
Throughout our work we seek to remember the importance of prioritizing and centring communities of women who face disproportionate structural risk factors related to HIV, as well as being a reminder that gender is not binary, and the importance of thoughtfulness towards inclusivity for Trans, 2-Spirited, and Non-Binary femme people in WHAI work. In our work, we capitalize identities, except “cis." This is to remind us of the privilege and space afforded cis people, and to support the amplification of identities outside gender-binary constructions.
NEW HIV DIAGNOSES & WOMEN IN ONTARIO
In 2020, 44.4% of women diagnosed with HIV for the first time were Black.
In 2020, 13% of women diagnosed with HIV for the first time were Indigenous.
Trans women are 10 times more likely to report having been diagnosed with HIV than Ontarians overall.
WHAI & OHESI: Women & HIV in Ontario (2020)
25% of women diagnosed for the first time in 2020, were attributed to injection drug use, compared to 8.2% of males diagnosed for the first.
CENTRING WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES
“HIV impacts all of us uniquely. But our social location and our identities puts some women at more risk. Discrimination, racism, poverty – these are structural realities that impact femme people in our communities."
— Community experience shared from Ontario
Helpful Resources
Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
An executive summary report from the National Inquiry Into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Women* & HIV in Ontario: An Introductory Toolkit
This toolkit has been updated (2023) and includes pull out sections on women & HIV in Ontario, populations of women disproportionately impacted, and strategies to build knowledge and capacity to support women in local communities. The tools include organizational and individual assessment tools, and an action planning for change tool, among others.