The federal government announced it would put $1-million behind the work of a sexual health organization that works to break down stigma on preventing and treating sexually transmitted illnesses.

SA国际影视传媒淜nowing that we have five more years of being able to talk to young men about community responsibility and sexuality, it just warms my heart and makes me so hopeful for the future,SA国际影视传媒� said Nancy MacNeill, program facilitator of FOXY (Fostering Open eXpression among Youth) and SMASH (Strength, Masculinities, and Sexual Health).

The funding will help SMASH run its on the land programs and peer leader retreats and school-based programming.

It's part of a larger initiative by Health Canada, dedicating $26.4-million to support front line community organizations addressing HIV and Hepatitis C for the next five years, said Liberal MP Michael McLeod during a press conference Tuesday.

Increasingly, sexual health is being recognized as an individual responsibility to the community, said Candice Lys, co-founder and executive director of FOXY and SMASH.

SA国际影视传媒淭his is really important for young men to be able to know their status and be tested for things like HIV, Hep C and other STBBIs, and also for them to focus on building stronger selves and communities in the North,SA国际影视传媒� said Lys.

SA国际影视传媒淲e really thank the Public Health Agency of Canada for believing in this project and believing in its investment in the North,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Intravenous drug users, gay and Indigenous men are most at risk of contracting HIV and Hepatitis C, said McLeod.

SA国际影视传媒淚 know that by supporting projects like this one and working with community organizations like FOXY, we can work together to prevent new infections and stigma, and reduce the public health impact of these very serious but preventable infections,SA国际影视传媒� said McLeod.

SA国际影视传媒淔oxy does outstanding work and provides much needed support services to people the communities across the North,SA国际影视传媒� said McLeod.

Despite prevailing attitudes that youth are SA国际影视传媒渟elf-interested,SA国际影视传媒� the opposite is true of youth and their commitment to community health, said MacNeill.

SA国际影视传媒淓very day that you are choosing to have sex or have a relationship (...) you have a choice about whether you make your community a healthier place, or an unhealthier place,SA国际影视传媒� said MacNeill.

SA国际影视传媒淵oung people have a reputation of being self-involved and the truth is that when you tell young people how they can affect their community in a positive way, it's all they want to do,SA国际影视传媒� said MacNeill.

After winning the $1-million Arctic Inspiration Prize, FOXY spoke to almost 300 boys, men, educators, social workers, , teachers, parents and elders.

SA国际影视传媒淚t really is an organization that is born in the North and continues in the North,SA国际影视传媒� said Lys.

SMASH uses the arts to raise awareness about STIs, prevention for male youth and run peer-leader workshops to reduce infections in Canada.

Its programming complements a federal goal to eliminate AIDS and other sexually transmitted illnesses and blood borne infections by 2030, in line with targets set by UN and World Health Organization targets, said McLeod.

65,000 people in Canada are living with HIV or AIDS and one in five are unaware of their infection, said McLeod. Further, 45 per cent of Canadians infected with Hepatitis C are unaware of their infection, he said.

SA国际影视传媒淲e need to do more to reduce infections, stop stigma and discrimination and improve access to testing and treatment,SA国际影视传媒� said McLeod.

SA国际影视传媒淔OXY has done a lot of good work with the youth and female population and now the younger male population. I think we're going to see people with more knowledge about the more serious challenges we have with infectious diseases,SA国际影视传媒� said McLeod.

SMASH is one of the only educational programs SA国际影视传媒渆ffectively designed by the people it's meant to teach,SA国际影视传媒� said MacNeill.

SA国际影视传媒淵oung people have a reputation of being self-involved and the truth is that when you tell young people how they can affect their community in a positive way, it's all they want to do,SA国际影视传媒� said MacNeill.

SA国际影视传媒淚t isn't necessarily just about an individual human being going and getting tested and maybe getting treated,SA国际影视传媒� said MacNeill. SA国际影视传媒淭he more we can reduce the stigma around the discussion of STIs, the more power people end up having.SA国际影视传媒�

SMASH utilizes youth leaders like Jacob Schiller, who says the workshops aim to change what masculinity means.

SA国际影视传媒淚n the workshops we like to boost up masculinity and be sex positive, and say that if you're sexually active you should be using barrier methods,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淎 lot of media downplays sexual health as a minority not a priority,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Improving health outcomes requires changing an SA国际影视传媒渙verall perceptionSA国际影视传媒� that STIs don't need to be discussed, said MacNeill.

SA国际影视传媒淭hese are things that are part of our health and we want to pursue them,SA国际影视传媒� she said.