Love Positive Women is an international movement that invites us to celebrate women living with HIV around the globe. This annual event is an opportunity to engage in acts of caring for the women living with HIV in our community, both in private acts and in pushing for systems change.
In Canada, women make up approximately 25% of all people living with HIV. Despite this, women’s voices, priorities, and distinct needs have been underrepresented in the national conversation about HIV. Particularly in the space of sexual and reproductive health and rights, there are few initiatives that focus specifically on women living with HIV. Love Positive Women invites us to show up for women living with HIV, undertaking acts of care that demonstrate that they are loved and valued. In the spirit of this movement, we invite you to show positive women that you care by joining a collaborative effort to confront inequities and support the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women living with HIV in Canada.
In April 2022, our interdisciplinary team of women living with HIV, researchers, community advocates, clinical and social care providers, and policy-makers published a paper titled: “Key recommendations for developing a national action plan to advance the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women living with HIV in Canada“. This publication was the product of a years-long research and national consultation process. The paper outlines five key recommendations that are central in creating enabling environments that support the self-determination, safety and decision-making of women living with HIV. By committing to these recommendations, Canada can demonstrate global leadership in implementing the calls to action highlighted in the World Health Organization’s Consolidated Guideline on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Women Living with HIV, which is the foundation of this work.