The services YouthCO provides to HIV-positive youth have changed over the last 20 years as prognoses for people with AIDS have improved, but the non-profit’s principle of providing youth-to-youth education remains unaltered.
“We did a move recently and I threw away a book that was called Planning Your Will because it’s just not the case for young people anymore,” said Jesse Brown, the 27-year-old executive director of YouthCO. “It’s obviously a more manageable illness.”
But youth continue to contract HIV and YouthCO believes rates can be reduced with peer education.
Only people aged 30 and younger staff the grassroots organization and provide peer education for youth living with or at risk of contracting HIV and hepatitis C.
“The founders of YouthCO felt that creating a space for that youth voice, the whole ‘nothing about us without us’ attitude, they thought that was lacking and wanted to fill the need by creating a safe place where they could have their voice be heard,” Brown said.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, youth between the ages of 15 and 29 years old account for approximately 26 per cent of all HIV-positive cases. In 2007, 55 per cent of new hepatitis C infections in Canada were among youth.
YouthCO recently ended its weekday drop-in program where young people received individual support from staff because of funding changes from the provincial government and Vancouver Coastal Health.
But VCH recently provided funding for a full-time HIV support worker who will help youth with difficulties that include housing, addiction or engaging in a relationship with an HIV-positive person.
YouthCO aims to reach communities most affected by HIV.
It provides an education and leadership program for young, gay and trans men.
“Historically, there’s more HIV in the gay community, so gay men make up over 50 per cent of new diagnoses of HIV,” Brown said.
YouthCO also offers a workshop by and for indigenous youth throughout B.C.
“The stat is aboriginal people make up five per cent of the population but approximately 15 per cent of new HIV diagnoses,” Brown said.
The workshop considers colonization as a factor in health problems for aboriginal people and aims to help aboriginal youth feel more confident and to take responsibility for their health and the health of their community.
YouthCO reaches 5,000 young people each year with workshops on sexual health and harm reduction. It trains youth leaders as peer educators for their communities and friend networks.
YouthCO also provides scholarship to HIV-positive youth.
B.C. excels as one of the few provinces where HIV infection rates are dropping. Brown attributes this success to good government support.
“I really hope that B.C. can be the first place in the world that has an AIDS-free generation,” he said. “That’s not necessarily HIV-free, but through increased education and support we feel that you can get to zero with AIDS diagnoses.”
Fundraising is more important than ever as money from the Public Health Agency of Canada and VCH has dwindled. YouthCO raised nearly $20,000 at its 20th anniversary celebration July 10.
For more information about YouthCO, its volunteering opportunities and workshop, see youthco.org.
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