by Cheryl Bloemendal, Women's Community Development Coordinator

The AIDS Committee of Guelph & Wellington County is pleased to announce the launch of A Woman Like Me. The campaign is designed to encourage women to take an active and empowering role in their sexual health. The campaign was launched simultaneously across Southwestern Ontario in celebration of International Women’s Week.  

Women are increasingly becoming more likely to test positive for HIV. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, in 2008 women represented 26.2% of all positive HIV tests in Canada. Approximately 300 women in Ontario will test positive every year.   

A Woman like Me features new materials including postcards, posters, and a (soon to be released) comprehensive booklet that will promote awareness of the risks women face in relation to HIV/AIDS and what precautions and resources are available to them. Look for the campaign materials in social service agencies, hospitals, universities and anywhere women access health services throughout the region. 

Here is the video for the campaign. It will be playing around Guelph for the next month in local businesses, doctors’ offices, and restaurants.