Nearly half of North Americans say they are not comfortable sharing skin-to-skin contact with an HIV-positive person – News Releases

Nearly half of North Americans say that they would not be comfortable sharing skin-to-skin contact with an HIV-positive person

PR Newswire

TORONTO, November 22, 2018

Casey House launches Healing House, the world's first HIV + spa in Toronto

TORONTO, Nov. 22, 2018 / PRNewswire / – On November 29, Casey House launched Healing House, the world's first short-lived ephemeral thermo-HIV spa in Toronto, Canada. A recent study commissioned by Casey House revealed that half of Canadians and nearly half of Americans would be worried that they would come into contact with someone living with HIV / AIDS. Healing House will explore the power of touch compassion to combat the stigma experienced by people living with HIV / AIDS.

Although 88% of Canadians recognize that Canada is a compassionate country, more than half of the population would not be comfortable touching someone living with HIV / AIDS. Casey House was founded on compassion and this new campaign will encourage people to look inward and understand how they truly understand each other by revealing what North Americans really think about HIV / AIDS.

"Compassion is something that Canadians are famous for, yet our country lacks empathy for people living with HIV / AIDS, it is time for compassion to overcome complacency. Healing House, we will set the example and show the world how positive touch can be a form of healing for those who daily treat the misconceptions and stigma of HIV / AIDS, "said Joanne Simons, Executive Director of Casey House. "In 2017, 1.8 million people were newly infected with HIV, making the stigma associated with HIV / AIDS a global phenomenon."

Healing House is a positive space for people to experience the healing power of touch while being kind to others. Based on her expertise, Melissa Doldron, a Toronto medical assistant for the Toronto Blue Jays, trained 15 HIV-positive people, the healers, to provide healing services such as hand, neck and shoulder massages. . The individual interaction will allow Canadians to see that these people are more than their illness and deserve compassion, just like everyone else.

"When first diagnosed with HIV, one of my initial thoughts was that I would be lonely forever and that I would never be touched or loved again.When I revealed my status, many people close to me was warm and caring, but knowledge, health professionals and people who did not know me well showed obvious signs of unease and apologized for not touching me, "said Randy, a healer for HIV + at Healing House. "I believe in the healing power of touch and I am proud to be coached by 14 other healers, I hope that Canadians will adopt Healing House and make me believe that we are as kind and understanding as we think so. "

Casey House Smash Stigma Study

In partnership with Leger, Casey House Smash's second annual stigma study revealed statistics about Canadians' perceptions of HIV / AIDS:

• Although 91% of Canadians believe that it is in our human nature to need positive contact, only one-third (38%) said that they would be willing to share a skin-to-skin contact with an HIV-positive person.
• 71% of Canadians would be nervous or ashamed to openly share health news if the HIV + test was tested, an increase of 1% over last year, indicating that the stigma surrounding HIV / AIDS is still prevalent.
• 44% of Canadians are complacent about the negative stigma associated with the disease.
• 79% of North Americans report being willing to share skin-to-skin contact with someone with cancer, but only 41% report being willing to share contact with someone living with HIV / AIDS.

The House of Healing opens on November 29, with a day reserved for the media. The doors will be open to the public on November 30 from noon. – 19:00 and December 1st from 10am to 5pm. All services are free. To see a full service schedule and make an appointment, visit www.smashstigma.ca. You can also visit www.caseyhouse.com to donate and help support innovative care based in Toronto.

For high resolution photography of participants
HIV + healers: video of the 15-second campaign and other Canadian and US survey results,
please visit:

http://bit.ly/2PHO2hk

. You can also follow here: #smashstigma.

About Casey House:

Casey House is the first and only independent hospital in Canada for people living with HIV / AIDS.

In 1988, Casey House's first patient was led to the door by a team of doctors dressed in an anti-mosquito suit. Casey House greeted him with a warm embrace and comforted him until the end of his life. Through our innovative and holistic approach to health care, we remain one of the few places where people living with HIV / AIDS can seek non-judgmental care. We are more than a place that saves lives, we are a place that speaks, shines understanding with compassion and allows our customers to improve.

While many people living with HIV can effectively manage their disease with a support network and access to treatment, Casey House clients are not part of this majority and fall into the category of 40% of untreated people. Ontario. They are vulnerable, seek security and need food. Casey House will continue to offer unmistakable compassion to clients in need by providing a holistic approach to their care and treatment.

Method of investigation:
A survey of 1,581 Canadian residents was conducted online from October 19 to 22, 2018 using LégerWeb's online panel, LégerWeb. A probabilistic sample of the same size would give a margin of error of +/- 2.46%, 19 times out of 20.

A survey of 1,501 Americans was conducted online between November 1 and November 16, 2018, using LégerWeb's online panel, LégerWeb. A probabilistic sample of the same size would give a margin of error of +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20.

NOTE: North American data includes Americans and Canadians surveyed only.

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SOURCE Casey House Foundation

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Last updated on 22/11/2018