17th International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, August 2008

In August I had the amazing opportunity to attend the 17th International AIDS Conference in Mexico City! It was an incredible opportunity and I am lucky to have the experience. The scholarship funding for Canadians went through the Interagency Coalition on AIDS Development. This agency was wonderful. They handled all the arrangements and as there were so many delegates from Canada at different hotels, they did a great job of ensuring we were all okay. A special thanks to Shayna, who didn't even get to go but was a great support for those of us who did! This was my first experience at an International AIDS Conference and it was extremely overwhelming at first (in a good way)!

The size of the venue and the fact that over 20 thousand people from all over the world were attending
Karen Dennis was tremendous. There was SO many events to choose from, the plenary speakers, the skills building, information sessions, the poster displays and discussions, the vast amount of booths to visit and collect information, the engagement tours and the global village. I wanted to experience absolutely everything, of course that was not possible, so I did as much as I could! The plenary speakers were inspiring, the presentations from around the world on HIV/AIDS and different service provisions and surveillance methods were interesting because although it's the same illness, depending on which country and the population, dictated how services were delivered. The global village was exciting, lively, informative and full of life.

Envision booths (too many to count) from all over the world with their information, and some had items for sale to raise money. There was a stage where dancing, improve and other events took place. There was always spontaneous music, dancing and other forms of costumes. There was artwork and documentaries or other shows on DVD.

One of my favourite encounters was the engagement tour. This was an opportunity to visit a front line agency in Mexico City. The one I choose to attend was with a group called Colectivo Sol. This group has two "Condommobiles"! One for women and one for men. The support workers wear drag (they said they get a lot more attention and individuals accessing them this way) and hand out condoms, provide info and just listen to people. While we were there they were having a condom demonstration in the square by their office and they must have had at least 80 people there! They were remarkable!

I made so many astounding connections there, many of which I have already been in contact with since returning. The people I met and the things I learned and the entire journey will stay with me!

Karen Dennis         Enjoy the photos of Mexico