Advance builds on the collective expertise of leading community-based organizations across Canada to amplify the voices of GBT2Q men within the health system.

What is advance?

Advance is a pan-Canadian collaboration to improve the accessibility and uptake of health services among gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men (cis and trans), and Two-Spirit people (GBT2Q) in Canada. Our vision is for GBT2Q communities to have equitable access to the services they need. 

In Canada, GBT2Q men remain disproportionately impacted by HIV and sexually transmissible and blood-borne infections (STBBI), in addition to facing greater needs in relation to mental health and substance use. These challenges require a coordinated response across governments, communities, and the health system that prioritizes GBT2Q men, including greater investments in HIV/STBBI testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), mental health services, and cultural competency training for healthcare providers.

Advance builds on the collective expertise of leading GBT2Q community-based organizations across Canada to amplify the voices of the community within the health system. Through strategic partnership with the government, policymakers, and researchers, we aim to mobilize evidence and stimulate improved health policy and practice affecting our diverse communities. 

This collaborative project is funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada through the Community Action Fund on HIV and STBBIs.

 

about our team

Advance is a partnership between leading community-based organizations from across Canada dedicated to the health and wellness of GBT2Q men: 

 

our vision

Our vision is for a comprehensive, responsive, and equitable health system that meets the broader health needs of gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men (cis and trans), and Two-Spirit people (GBT2Q) across Canada.

our miSsion

Our mission is to improve the accessibility and uptake of health services for gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men (cis and trans), and Two-Spirit people (GBT2Q). In partnership with public health, researchers, policymakers, and our communities, we mobilize the evidence, tools, and leadership necessary to ensure GBT2Q men in Canada have access to equitable and culturally competent care.

our values

  • We are committed to inclusiveness, strengthening diversity, and integrating an anti-oppression lens into our work.

  • We believe that health is more than the absence of disease and includes social, physical, mental, and sexual dimensions.

  • We value evidence and the use of scientific and community-based research to guide program and policy development.

  • We are committed to the meaningful involvement of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C.

WHY ADVANCE?

In Canada, gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men (cis or trans) and Two-Spirit people (GBT2Q) remain disproportionately impacted by HIV and other sexually transmitted blood-borne infections (STBBIs). In 2016, GBT2Q men represented 53% of all new HIV infections in Canada – a stable trend that continues despite the availability of highly effective tools for preventing HIV such as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable).  

Increasing the access and use of effective HIV/STBBI prevention, testing, and treatment services among GBT2Q communities will be a critical factor in Canada’s fight against HIV and its ability to achieve the UNAIDS’ global targets of 90-90-90 by 2020. Meeting the challenge involves addressing the significant gaps in services across the country, which are made worse by barriers to care frequently experienced by GBT2Q communities including the fear of stigma, discrimination, and prejudice due to being a sexual and/or gender minority. 

Real progress in addressing HIV and other sexually transmitted blood-borne infections (STBBIs) requires concrete changes in health policy and practice that increases the accessibility of prevention tools and prioritizes communities most affected, including GBT2Q men. Advance, led by a coalition of leading community-based organizations dedicated to GBT2Q health and wellness in Canada, represents a new opportunity to mobilize such change through coordinated partnerships with governments, communities, and the health system.

OBJECTIVES

Increase GBT2Q access to health services for HIV/STBBIs, mental health, and related needs including:

  • PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP

  • Early and effective HIV treatment

  • Harm reduction programs and equitable access to Hepatitis C treatment

  • Vaccinations for Hepatitis A and B, and HPV (human papilloma virus)

  • Peer and professional counselling 

Increase GBT2Q use of health services for HIV/STBBIs, mental health, and related needs through:

  • Campaigns that increase community awareness of prevention knowledge, tools and services

  • Partnerships with health care providers, researchers, and officials to improve understanding and responses to GBT2Q health needs

  • Programs to train and support GBT2Q leaders to address community health priorities

It’s time to prioritize GBT2Q men’s health in Canada. It’s time to Advance.