Populations Most Impacted
Social determinants of health significantly impact the lives of individuals and communities, putting some people at higher systemic risk for HIV than others. WHAI is working to address these inequalities in our work.
AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN, AND BLACK (ACB) WOMEN
44.4%
Of Women diagnosed with HIV for the first time in 2020, 44.4% were Black Women.
CENTRING WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES
“There are lots of assumptions about what racism is … and a need for education and discussion about institutional and structural racism and its impact on our work.”
—Community partner from Kingston
INDIGENOUS WOMEN
13%
Of women diagnosed with HIV for the first time in 2020, 13% are Indigenous Women.
CENTRING WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES
"The ability of Indigenous women to determine and develop our own priorities in the areas of health, education, climate change, gender equality, and safety is vital to the success of reconciliation. In order to create positive and sustainable change, we need to draft ideas for programs tailored to our distinct needs and strategies for implementation…”
— Francyne D. Joe, Interim President, Native Women’s Association of Canada
TRANS WOMEN, 2 Spirited & Non-Binary Femme People
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.
10x
Trans women are 10 times more likely to report having been diagnosed with HIV.
CENTRING WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES
“In order to enhance care for Trans women living with HIV, it is essential that health care and social service workers receive training and resources to make their services more accessible."
— Trans PULSE Project (2017)
WOMEN WHO USE DRUGS OR SUBSTANCES
25.4%
Of new diagnosis amongst women in 2020, 25.4% was attributed to injection drug use.
CENTRING WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES
“Using substances increases your risk of HIV so much. Some women are not able to access harm reduction supplies because they are worried about what people will think if they see them there.”
— Community experience from Toronto
WOMEN WHO EXPERIENCE VIOLENCE
Almost 50%
Of women living with HIV reported having experienced intimate partner violence in a 2017 Cohort Study.
CENTRING WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES
“I’ve heard from BIPOC women clients who haven’t phoned the police when in dangerous situations out of fear of being unfairly criminalized.”
— Community experience from Brampton
WOMEN WHO ARE INCARCERATED
10%
Almost 10% of women living with HIV in the OHTN Cohort Study have experienced incarceration. Many fear telling health care staff about their HIV status when incarcerated, making it impossible to get thoughtful health care.
The OHTN Cohort Study (OCS)
CENTRING WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES
“Women who are incarcerated in Canadian prisons, for example, are more likely than their male counterparts to experience health complications from past physical and sexual abuse, poverty, pregnancy, and malnourishment, among other conditions. For Indigenous and Black women, these experiences are compounded by the legacies of colonization, slavery, and racism.”
RESOURCES
HIV Stigma in African, Caribbean, and Black Communities
CHABAC's resource on HIV stigma within African, Caribbean, and Black communities.
On Point
Recommendations for Prison-Based Needle and Syringe Programs in Canada.
Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
National inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Women in Prison, HIV and Hepatitis C
The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network's information sheet on the human rights of women living with HIV in prison.
WHAI Trans Inclusion Pocket Guide
A WHAI resource for service providers to support the inclusion of Trans women in our work.