AIDS Coalition of N.S. rebrands to reflect broader queer health-care mandate

The AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia is changing its name to better reflect the health challenges of 2SLGBTQ+ people in the province.

But the organization says that doesn't mean it's turning its back on its longtime mission to help people living with HIV and AIDS.

"If we were going to survive, we knew we needed a refresh," says executive director Chris Aucoin of the organization now known as the Health Equity Alliance of Nova Scotia, or HEAL NS.

The first AIDS service organizations formed in Nova Scotia in the 1980s. It was a time when an HIV diagnosis was widely considered a death sentence. 

But with the advent of antiretroviral therapy in 1996, the lifespan of people living with HIV expanded dramatically. 

"That changed the landscape drastically and mostly for the better, but the negative fallout of that is … the urgency that had existed up to that point dissipated really quickly," said Aucoin. 

"Federal funding stagnated, provincial funding has stagnated  … and that's made our work more difficult over time."

People living with HIV continue to face stigma and many long-term survivors need continued support, he said, but the mandate of the organization had to change if it wanted to be sustainable and attract more funding.

The organization's new name better encompasses the work it does, says Aucoin, which also includes sexual and mental health support for the queer community, harm reduction, and education and advocacy work

"Even if we had a cure for HIV tomorrow … there's still a lot of work specific to queer populations around physical, sexual and mental health," he said. 

The name change was announced earlier this year at the organization's annual Red Gala and on social media last month. 

A more thorough rebranding will be unveiled once the group's new website is complete, said Aucoin.

Meeting community need

Albert McNutt, a former AIDS coalition board chair and a long-term HIV survivor, said the name change is one way the organization is evolving.

"Names change because the populations are changing," he said. "It's to a point that funders can't fund everybody, so  we've got to broaden the mandates in order to get it done."

McNutt understands this well. He is the director of the Northern Healthy Connections Society in Truro, which was formerly known as the Northern AIDS Connection Society before changing its name in 2016 to reflect a wider mandate.

He said he understands why some people with HIV may be worried the organization will lose sight of its original purpose, but urges them to get involved if they have concerns.

For his part, Aucoin is adamant the name change doesn't mean HEAL NS is abandoning people with HIV and AIDS.

He's also aware more work needs to be done to help prevent the spread of HIV in the province

Nova Scotia, for instance, still does not offer PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) — a medication taken to prevent getting HIV — for free to high-risk groups, something many other provinces, like British Columbia and Prince Edward Island, already do.

Aucoin says his organization has been lobbying the government to change this. 

He said the cost of PrEP for those without insurance can be upwards of $200 a month. 

In an email statement, the province's Department of Health and Wellness noted that PrEP is funded through the Family and Community Pharmacare programs, but said it has had discussions about barriers to access the drug with stakeholders.

"Any future program changes will consider this feedback," the department said. 

Aucoin, however, said the Pharmacare program leaves too many people behind.

In 2022, the most recent available figures, 27 new cases of HIV were reported in Nova Scotia.

Meanwhile, rates of syphilis and gonorrhea remain high in the province, something that Aucoin believes could be improved with more education on sexual health and increased access to testing. 

The newly rebranded organization will celebrate its 30th year in 2025. For Aucoin, the name change is just one step toward ensuring the organization will be around to serve the queer community – and all people with HIV –  for the long haul.

"We want to make sure that nobody's left behind," he said.