This page contains information about HIV and AIDS. For information about getting legal help, please visit the Our Services page of our website.
HIV is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. AIDS is the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.
Being infected with HIV is often called “living with HIV” or being “HIV positive” / “HIV+”.
For information about HIV testing in Ontario, please visit our HIV testing page.
CATIE is “Canada’s source for HIV and hepatitis C information”. For general information about HIV and AIDS, you can visit the CATIE website, including HIV The Basics: www.catie.ca
The following links may be of interest to anyone interested in or concerned about HIV/AIDS, HIV-related services, and the law. HALCO is not responsible for the content of any non-HALCO site. A link on our site does not imply an endorsement of the site or its content.
HIV/AIDS Medical Information
- Sexual Health Infoline Ontario-SHILO (formerly AIDS and Sexual Health Info Line): Ontario-wide free anonymous service (also referrals to anonymous HIV testing sites) www.toronto.ca/community-people/health-wellness-care/aids-sexual-health-infoline.
- CATIE “Canada’s source for HIV and hepatitis C information”: www.catie.ca.
- Canadian AIDS Society: www.cdnaids.ca.
Government HIV-related Information (including statistics)
- Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care: www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/hivaids/
- Government of Canada
- HIV/AIDS information: http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/diseases-conditions-maladies-affections/disease-maladie/hiv-aids-vih-sida/index-eng.php.
- Statistics: http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/diseases-conditions-maladies-affections/disease-maladie/hiv-aids-vih-sida/surveillance-eng.php.
- Federal Initiative: www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/aids-sida/fi-if/index-eng.php.
- HIV and AIDS in Canada: A National Survey Summary Report (2012): https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/f79b3ec4-5b50-4ec1-894d-e9855148e55d
- Canadians’ Awareness, Knowledge and Attitudes Related to Sexually Transmitted and BloodBorne Infections 2018 Findings Report: http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/301/pwgsc-tpsgc/por-ef/public_health_agency_canada/2018/056-17-e/index.html
- Health Canada: Cannabis for medical purposes (marijuana): http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/drugs-products-medicaments-produits/buying-using-achat-utilisation/cannabis-medical/index-eng.php.
HIV/AIDS Legal Information
- HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO): Contact Us.
- Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, produces many resources related to HIV, privacy, disclosure and criminalization: www.aidslaw.ca.
- Ontario Working Group on Criminal Law and HIV Exposure (CLHE): http://clhe.ca.
Please visit Our Publications section for our publications including pamphlets and our newsletter.
For other sources of legal information and assistance, please visit our Legal Services section.
HIV and Human Rights Information (Ontario and Canada)
Please see our Human Rights section.
Community-based HIV/AIDS Organizations & Networks
Ontario:
- HIV411 [find local AIDS service organizations and other services across Canada]: www.hiv411.ca.
- Ontario AIDS Network (OAN): https://oan.red/.
- Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN): www.ohtn.on.ca/.
- Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy (OAHAS): www.oahas.org/.
- Teresa Group (children in Ontario affected by HIV/AIDS and their families): www.teresagroup.ca/.
- 2-Spirited People of the First Nations: http://www.2spirits.com/.
- Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy: http://www.oahas.org/.
- Action positive VIH/sida: http://www.actionpositive.ca/en/.
- African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO): www.accho.ca.
- Africans in Partnership Against AIDS (APAA): www.apaa.ca.
- Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP): www.asaap.ca.
- Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS): http://acastoronto.tumblr.com/.
- Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black CAP): www.blackcap.ca.
- Committee for Accessible AIDS Treatment (CAAT) (coalition promoting the health and well-being of people living with HIV who face access barriers related to their immigration status): www.hivimmigration.ca.
- Casey House (stand-alone hospital for people with HIV/AIDS): www.caseyhouse.com/.
- Ontario Harm Reduction Network (formerly Ontario HIV and Substance Use Training Program-OHSUTP): provides training to substance use services in Ontario in order to increase knowledge of HIV/AIDS and to promote skills development www.ohrn.org.
National/Canada-wide:
- HIV411 [find local AIDS service organizations and other services across Canada]: www.hiv411.ca.
- Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network: www.aidslaw.ca.
- CATIE “Canada’s source for HIV and hepatitis C information”: www.catie.ca.
- Canadian AIDS Society (CAS): www.cdnaids.ca.
- Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network (CAAN): www.caan.ca/.
- Realize (formerly Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation – CWGHR): http://www.realizecanada.org.
- Prisoners’ HIV/AIDS Support Action Network (PASAN): www.pasan.org.
International HIV Information and Organizations
- International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO): www.icaso.org.
- United Nations: www.unaids.org.
- UNICEF: www.unicef.org/publications/files/ChildrenAIDS_Countryfactsheets.pdf.
- World Health Organization (WHO): www.who.int/topics/hiv_aids/en.
- Global Criminalisation Scan: www.gnpplus.net/criminalisation.
Community Services Information in Ontario
- 211 Community Information Services dial 211 anywhere in Ontario for information about services in your community: www.211ontario.ca, and in Toronto: www.211toronto.ca.
HIV & Travel Information
- For Canadian Immigration information, you can also visit our Immigration Law page.
- Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network: www.aidslaw.ca/site/publicationtopics/immigration-and-travel/.
- HIV and Travel:Global Database on HIV-specific travel and residence restrictions www.hivtravel.org.
- U.S. immigration law resources: Immigration Equality www.immigrationequality.org.
Legal Advice
HALCO provides free legal services for people living with HIV in Ontario, Canada. Please visit our Contact Us page for more information.