Tuesday's Report (Toronto AIDS Conference)

Day Two at the conference was equally as busy as Day One, but I was a bit more rested and had the stamina to be a bit more present for longer. Which is great because there is so much to do, so many ways to get my brain stimulated.

I started out with learning more about Microbicides! Hurray for giving women tools to protect themselves! So this lead to many thoughts about the ways that prevention of HIV can be delivered. I have to admit that I have been very centered on the idea that prevention should be based around promoting behavioural changes. For example, if an individual was having unprotected sex, then the behavioural change campaign targeting this person would often promote using condoms. However, this is based upon his/her partner’s compliance to do so.

Prevention in the form of a microbicide or vaccine could protect those who do not have the liberty to change their behaviour, such as sex workers (due to illiteracy, poverty, isolation, etc). Protecting sex workers is a vital form of preventing the spread of viruses and infections.

Another buzz around prevention is in regards to male circumcision. There has been a lower prevalence of infection rates amoungst men who have been circumcised. This lends itself to the physiology of foreskin, and its ability to provide an environment for the virus to survive for longer periods, thus making it more likely to enter the body.

However, I am concerned about the concept of circumcision as prevention. Circumcision is a form of body modification, and this decision should be left in the hands of the individual. I hesitate at the idea of widely promoting circumcision of newborns, because on a broad level it is a human rights violation.

There’s some food for thought.

In other news, I made a new friend today. He is a Buddhist monk from Laos, and he flew half way around the world to come to this conference for a week. I was sitting outside, taking a few moments to myself, and watching the clouds float by the CN tower (which was directly above me), when three monks walked by in their religious orange robes. I asked one of the monks if I could interview him on camera, and we got to talking about our experiences in HIV/AIDS work. His name was Somchit Phomthavong and he gave me his email so that we could keep in touch. Perhaps I will go to Laos for a visit.

Other highlights of the day include having lunch and circumcision conversation with my Step-mom (who will be leading an aboriginal-based talking circle tomorrow), protesting the claims made by “Globe & Mail” journalist Margaret Wente in today’s Editorial section (hugely problematic comments about gay men and immigrants), and watching sex workers perform in the Global Village (a performance called “Star Whores”… I hope it will become a trilogy).

Thanks for tuning in, it is great to come home after a long day and process all the information that I have been exposed to… this a great venue to do that and I am extremely happy if you are reading along.

Be well.