This issue:

(¥ How to meal: Sweet potato burritos

(¥ Missing someone?

And more!

(Y Finding the perfect boot for every season

Stop HIV & hep C now

» Take the lead and follow them

Andrea Arscott
Senior Columnist

woman is wheeled into the

emergency’s trauma room
ona stretcher. Although she’s
conscious, she’s been ina car
accident and is bleeding from
several injuries. She whispers
to one of the paramedics
that she’s HIV-positive. The
paramedic then turns to
everyone in the room and
states, “She’s positive for HIV.”
Members of the team who
aren't already wearing gloves
reach for some immediately.

playground at school, when he
falls from the monkey bars. He

ground. One of the teachers
runs to his aid, reaches fora
tissue in her pocket, and stops
the bleeding. He says, “My
mommy said that if I bleed,

I need to tell you that I have
HIV.” The teacher freaks out
and rushes to wash her hands.

A boxer sparring with

: another man in the ring at the
: gym bites his own lip. Blood

: drips onto the floor. The coach
: sits him ona stool in the

: corner of the ring and covers

: the cut with a small bandage.

: The other boxer shouts to the

: coach, “You should wear gloves :
: when you handle blood coach.”
: He responds, “What, it’s not

: like he has HIV or anything.”

: The injured boxer says,

: “Actually I do.”

What do these scenarios

have in common? The first

: responders in these types

: of situations should have

. . . : followed universal precautions
A little boy is playing in the regardless of whether or not

: it’s known if the person being
. . : treated has HIV or any other
cuts his finger when he hits the : blood borne illnesses, like
: hepatitis C. Responders should
: always assume that all of their

: patients could have HIV or

: hep C and automatically use

: gloves. This way, people living

: with HIV don't feel obligated

: to disclose their status to

: someone because they didn’t
: take responsibility and protect
: themselves.

When an ambulance is

: called, paramedics and doctors
: need to know their patients’

: status in order to treat them

: effectively, make proper

diagnoses, and prescribe

: appropriate medications.

: However, in other situations,

: people don’t need to disclose

: that they’re HIV-positive. They
: have the right to privacy and

: confidentiality. Teachers, gym

: coaches, outreach workers,

: nurses, and others should

: always wear gloves when giving
: first aid.

Now, when it comes to

sex, if your partner tells you

: they’re HIV-positive and their
: viral load is “undetectable,”

: that doesn’t mean that HIV

: is no longer in their body.

: Remember, there’s no cure for
: HIV. Having an undetectable
: viral load means the amount

: of the virus in their system is

: minimal, and therefore, the

Have an idea for a story? Let us know!
Contact: Sophie Isbister, Life & Style Editor
Mlifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca

www.theotherpress.ca

: risk of transmitting HIV to
: someone else is extremely low.

So having said that,

: the one instance when

: people living with HIV have

: to disclose their status is

: when they intend on having

: unprotected sex with their

: partners and their viral load is
: not undetectable. If they don't :
: disclose their HIV status under }
: these circumstances, they can
: be charged with aggravated

: sexual assault. It’s the law.

: However, if a person who is

: HIV-positive has a viral load

: that is undetectable and they
: use a condom, that person

: doesn’t have a legal duty to

: divulge their status to partners. :
: If you’re not clear, check out
: aidslaw.ca.

When it comes down to

the courts though, it becomes
: a “he said, she said” battle. So,
: if you are HIV-positive, it may
: be in your best interest to tell

: your partners and document

: it somehow by involving a

: witness, getting a note signed

: by partners, or having them

: accompany you to the doctor.
: Down the road, you may need
: proof that you disclosed your
: HIV status to your sexual

: partners.

As it stands, AIDS Service

Organizations (ASOs) and
: others are trying to change the
: disclosure law, as some people

believe that you shouldn’t have

: to disclose your HIV status at
: all if you practice safe sex.

Stop HIV and hep C now.

: Know your status and wear a
: condom.

Come down to the Purpose

Society testing clinic at 40

: Begbie Street in New West

: the first and third Friday of

: the month from 1 a.m. to

: 1 p.m. for anonymous and

: rapid HIV testing and STI and
: HCV testing. We also provide

: vaccines, free harm reduction
: supplies, and condoms! You

: can also get your questions

: answered by emailing

: sexyquestions@

; purposesociety.org

 

Diary of a starter novelist

» Week Two: A slow start to a dead end

Patrick Vaillancourt
Senior Columnist

Patrick Vaillancourt is a
political essayist and seasoned
in the arts of non-fiction
writing. His first book, a
memoir, is scheduled for

participating in National Novel
Writing Month, otherwise
known as NaNoWriMo, for the
first time.

he writing has officially
begun, and while ]ama

thus far, I still have much of

of 50,000 words.

I have begun to realize that
writing a novel doesn't really
happen by simply writing when
you have time to write. This
past week, I have let the day-
to-day things in my life take
a priority over actually sitting

: something different: errands

: like laundry and groceries,

: meeting up with friends, and

: the hockey game were just

: some of the activities that have
: kept me away from writing this
: novel.

One thing I need to do

: differently is to schedule the

2. : _ | time to write. For the next week,
publication later this year. He is I will be working on the book,
: without fail, for three to four

: hours daily. The time is written
: into my schedule so that I can’t
: be taken away from it. I will

: hope that this strategy proves

: more effective at keeping me

: f d.
little behind on my word count : ocusse

In the writing I have done,

: I realize that my story isn’t
the month to hit that lofty goal completely developed. I know
: alot about my characters,

: their likes and fears as well

: as the little quirks that make

: them unique. I am, however,

: struggling to design a conflict
: that will take the reader

: throughout the full lengthofa :
: book. My concept is perhaps too :

down and writing. Each day had broad, and I fear I may have to

: go back to the drawing board.

A lot of wine has been

: consumed in the hopes of

: finding some inspiration. The
: novel is a bit dark, and so I

: have found some ideas in the

: lyrics of sad songs. Whether it:
: will be enough to inspire me to :
: write 50,000 words remains to
: be seen.

I have also benefitted

from changing the scenery

: a little bit. Much of this

: week has seen heavy rains in

: Vancouver, so I was confined

: to my home, and while much

: of my writing is done there,

: much of my thinking is done

: while taking a walk or sitting

: ona bench at Kitsilano Beach.
: Combining the thinking and

: writing processes seemed

: to bea natural fit, and so]

: decided to take my laptop

: over to Starbucks for an hour.
: A good chunk of my current

: word count comes from that

: one hour at the Starbucks right :

next to the beach, sipping on

my peppermint hot chocolate

 

and watching the world pass
: me by from my seat on the
: outside patio.

Aside from scheduling

: time and changing the scenery,
: next week’s plan is to read the

: introductions to a few different
: novels. Not the whole book,

: but enough to familiarize

: myself with what constitutes

: a “good start” to a successful

: story.

With any luck, next week’s

article will display a vastly
: increased word count.

WORDS WRITTEN:
39157

WORDS REMAINING:
50,000

DAYS LEFT TO
COMPLETE:
20

AVERAGE NUMBER
OF WORDS PER DAY
NEEDED:

1,852 words per day