The Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life is Canada’s most important HIV/AIDS fundraising and awareness event. Cities and communities from across the country host Walks every year to raise funds for local services and programming and to increase awareness about HIV/AIDS.

Don’t just stand there!
HIV/AIDS affects us all. There is no cure and no vaccine. With all the advancements that have been made to extend and improve the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS, we feel a sense of urgency amidst growing apathy. HIV/AIDS is still with us, still takes lives here in Nova Scotia, and still has a devastating impact on people who are living with the virus. Members of our community need our help, and we can’t sit this one out.

Join the Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life
Join the fight against HIV/AIDS in our community and Walk. When you Walk and collect pledges for the Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life, you are making a difference in the lives of those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS right here in Nova Scotia.

Proceeds from the Halifax 2010 Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life go to the AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia. To learn more about the Walk visit AIDS Walk for Life Halifax.

To register or for more information, contact Chantelle McDonald at (902) 425-4882, ext. 228 or email walk@acns.ns.ca.

By combining physical and mental challenges along with some tight competition, teams of five will face off to win. We are looking for the bravest, strongest and smartest organizations and groups to participate in an adrenaline-pumping, mind-boggling, nerve-wracking day!!

This event is an amazing opportunity for team building, organizational development and a fun way for friends to challenge one another. There is a registration fee of $50.00 per team. All teams will have the ‘challenge’ of raising $3,000 (which is only $600 per team member) to support the programs and services of the ACNS. It is a small price to pay for the experience of a lifetime!

Charitable tax receipts will be provided to all who donate. We are committed to assist team members, organizations and corporations in developing fundraising tips and to prepare for the day. We will have media following our teams on race day, and our first place team will get a full-page, color ad picture in the The Coast…and full bragging rights, of course!

The challenge starts today by registering at the Running Room. Please join us to make difference in the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS!

You will be bidding on items such as first-class trips, tickets to must-see events and unique artwork from all genres. This fantastic evening continues to be supported by the broader artist community and various business groups including MAC Cosmetics, McInnes Cooper, Empire Life, O’Regan’s, Life Quest Financial and Manulife, to name a few.

We sold out last year and we are anticipating 2010 to be our largest and most successful year. Purchase your tables or tickets early. Help us make a difference in the quality of life of others by supporting our programs and services.

Call Laura Toole: (902) 425-4882, ext. 228 or email fund@acns.ns.ca.

Where: Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
When: Thursday, May 27th to Sunday, May 30th, 2010

The Ceilidh agenda will include a day of workshops for people living with HIV/AIDS and two days of concurrent workshop streams highlighting emerging issues in HIV/AIDS community-based work. There will also be networking opportunities, great food, massages for PHAs, and time for all of us to have fun!

The Skills Building Ceilidh is for you if you are a person living with HIV/AIDS, a health care service provider, a community worker, a staff member or volunteer in the community-based AIDS movement.

Register Early – Space is Limited!
How to register: Complete a Registration/Scholarship Form and submit before March 26th, 2010!
A limited number of scholarships are available to qualified applicants. Apply early!

The Ceilidh is organized by the AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia in partnership with Healing Our Nations, AIDS Coalition of Cape Breton, the Northern AIDS Connection Society, and the Canadian Treatment Action Council.

To obtain a Registration/Scholarship Form or for more information, contact:
AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia
Attention: Tammy Barbour
Phone: (902) 425-4882, ext. 226
Fax: (902) 422-6200
Email: pc@acns.ns.ca

The AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia supports person living with HIV/AIDS and provides prevention education. With your financial support we can continue to offer programs and services. Some highlights include:

BMO Financial Bid for Life! Dinner & Auction
The BMO Financial Bid for Life! Dinner & Auction is hosted by Casino Nova Scotia annually in May.

Join us for an evening of dining, socializing, and an auction featuring local artists and businesses. Highlights from past events include Air Canada tickets, round trip courtesy of VIA Rail, White Point Beach Resort Romance Package and many more.

For more information please contact fund@acns.ns.ca or call (902) 425-4882 x 228

Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life
In September, walkers and teams will come together to express their support for those in their communities living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.

The Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life is a national event held annually to raise crucial funds for AIDS Service Organization across Canada. All funds raised through the Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life Halifax will stay in our community.

Join us for a fun afternoon on the Halifax Commons filled with prizes, entertainment and barbeque. You may be helping someone you know!

For more information please contact fund@acns.ns.ca or call (902) 425-4882 x 228

Amazing Race for AIDS
April 16th, 2010, Halifax will be stirring with anticipation as the Amazing Race talks the city by storm.

This will be the 1st Annual Corporate Challenge that combines mental stamina, physical strength and knowledge about our beautiful city! With 10 small teams participating, our fundraising goal is $30,000! With your help we can have an unforgettable day that will be bigger and bigger each year.

For more information please contact fund@acns.ns.ca or call (902) 425-4882 x 228

Tour Tech East Post-Xmas Party
Tour Tech East is a company specializing in sound, lighting and staging. This event is a huge party – by invitation only – for Tour Tech’s guests. It’s set up as a fundraiser for the AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia. Last year, this event raised over $30,000 for people living with AIDS in Nova Scotia.

The event is held at Tour Tech East studios in Burnside. There are a number of big performances – the musical line-up last year showcasing many well-known, talented performers such as Lone Cloud, The Spawning Grunions, Chris Colepaugh, Oakley, Matt Minglewood, The Box, The Dead Beats, Universal Soul and the list goes on.

Volunteers are needed for the Party Shift from 6:00pm–2:30am. We realize this is a big commitment. As one volunteer said, “We only have to work for a few hours where some people have to live with HIV for a lifetime.” There are a variety of volunteer positions available.

For more information please contact ps@acns.ns.ca or call (902) 425-4882 ext 224.

Third Party Events
We always appreciate our partners and friends that support the AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia.

Please contact us directly for information and ideas to host a fundraiser. Past events include NSCAD’s Wearable Art Show, MAC Cosmetics Annual Party and many others. For more information please contact fund@acns.ns.ca or call (902) 425-4882 ext 228.

Many things – such as hugging, kissing, massage and touching – are completely safe. No one has ever gotten HIV from these sexual activities.

HIV is carried in blood, semen (guys cum and pre-cum), vaginal fluid (women’s natural lubrication), and breast milk. For HIV to be transferred or given to someone else there are two important things to remember:

1. HIV must be present in one of the above fluids (one of the people having sex has the virus)
2. There must be a way for it to get into the other persons blood stream.

During sex, this can happen a few ways:



Anal Sex/Butt Fucking (putting penis inside the anus)
Anal sex without a condom is the riskiest activity for giving or getting HIV. The person getting the penis inside of them (the receptive partner “bottom”) is at risk because inside the butt is very sensitive and can absorb HIV from cum or pre-cum easily and get into the bloodstream. The person putting the penis in the Butt (or “top”) is also at risk because the membranes inside the urethra can provide an entry for HIV, possibly present in blood inside the anus.

Using a condom from start to finish greatly reduces the risk. However, the risk is not zero because the condom could break. It is important that you understand that condoms are only effective against HIV if they are used properly and do not break.




Vaginal Sex (putting a penis inside a vagina)
Vaginal sex without a condom is also a very risky activity for HIV transmission. HIV passes more easily from male to female than vice versa because the inside of the vagina is a very sensitive area and can absorb HIV from Cum or pre-cum, and get into get into the blood stream like the anus. However, the person putting the penis in is still at risk because the membranes inside the urethra can provide an entry for HIV, possibly present in blood or vaginal fluid inside the vagina.

No matter what the gender of the partners, condoms used properly can reduce the risk of HIV transmission and other sexually transmitted diseases.




Oral Sex

In general, oral sex is less risky for giving or getting HIV than anal or vaginal intercourse, but it can still happen. Giving oral sex to a man or a woman is more risky then getting oral sex. Having pre-cum, cum, blood or large amounts of vaginal fluids in your mouth can lead to HIV transmission. Giving a woman oral sex while has her period increases the risk because blood has more HIV than vaginal fluid. Using a condom, or a latex or plastic barrier can reduce you risk. 





There are a number of other things that people might do during sex that have a much lower risk if passing on HIV or do not pass on HIV not transit HIV:


Fisting (putting you whole hand or fist inside someone’s butt or vagina)
Fisting could be risky for the insertive partner (or “top”) if there is broken skin that would allow blood from the rectum or vagina into the bloodstream. Using a latex glove reduces the risk.




Rimming (Licking the butt hole or anus) 

Feces (poo) may contain some blood, but it poses a low risk for HIV transmission. However, rimming is a risk for passing on hepatitis and parasites so using a dental dam or plastic wrap is good practice.

A normal CD4+ cell count in an HIV-negative person is around 500 to 1,500 cells in each cubic millimetre (mm3) of blood. As your CD4+ cell count gets lower, your immune system becomes unable to fight off a number of common viruses, bacteria and parasites. These infections can then take hold. They are sometimes called opportunistic infections because they take advantage of your weakened immune system.

Life-threatening infections are a lot less common now, since most people take highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). This is because when you take HAART it improves your immune system function and raises CD4+ levels and in this way helps prevent life-threatening infections caused by HIV. The main danger is in not finding out you are HIV-positive until your CD4+ cell counts are already so low that you are at risk, or are already sick with a life-threatening infection.