Humans of McMaster: Julio Diaz

Julio Diaz is a Multimedia Assistant at the Silhouette.

The Silhouette: Please introduce yourself.   

Julio Diaz: I’m Julio Diaz. I’m a second-year health sciences student.  

You’re a member of CANFAR. Can you tell us what that is?   

CANFAR at McMaster [University] is a chapter of a larger organization called CANFAR. It stands for the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research. We raise money for HIV/AIDS research through fundraisers. They also provide bursaries for [graduate students] who are doing research. With that comes a lot of advocacy. At the university level, we find different ways to educate people about what HIV is as a virus but also as a social phenomenon. Generally, to do that, we look more at how HIV presents itself in 2023 rather than where it began.  

What do you do?  

I am public relations for CANFAR. Art is very important to me; it’s a way that I teach people about HIV through a lens that I enjoy. That means making graphics for CANFAR like designing their logo and the website. I do that with another person, Izma. Our goal is to make sure that we present information about HIV to the public in a way that is accurate, well thought out and considerate of student identities.  

Could you elaborate on the focus on the presence of HIV/AIDS in 2023 rather than its past?  

The way I see it is what is happening now with HIV is different from what it was before. In the 1980s, it was a lot more stigmatized. It was more of an issue that people see with homosexual men, which really meant men who have sex with men. However, there were other demographics in the 1980s that were heavily affected by it like intravenous drug users and sex workers. As we get to 2023, we see that the people affected are very diverse . . . It's recognizing that other demographics have always existed and beginning to focus attention on them. It's about making sure that everyone gets the information that they need, knows the best ways to prevent the chance of transmission and steps to take if they are at risk.  

What are the goals that CANFAR has for the future?  

We want to get self-testing kits out to the hands of the people at the university. It's a part of a research study that CANFAR is involved with and it would make testing a lot more accessible. Literature that I've read shows that self-testing can reduce stigma, specifically in young men who have sex with men when it comes to HIV and in pursuing preventative measures like pre-exposure prophylaxis, a medication taken to prevent the spread of HIV. Right now, the other focus is on creating awesome events that people want to come to where we help spread accurate, up-to-date information about the virus. We're also going to continue hosting fundraisers and we have an upcoming research symposium which is a great opportunity to learn about where the research is now.  

What inspired you to join CANFAR?  

I was reading memoirs and educational literature about HIV and how it had impacted the queer community. It's a very large issue as queer people have been targeted violently and that still resonates today with homophobia, transphobia and other forms of discrimination against the LGBTQ community. In reading about that, I knew that I wanted to get involved in some way at McMaster with HIV — that's when I found CANFAR. It's been a perfect fit for me in terms of fulfilling a lot of those desires I had when I was reading those memoirs and being emotionally impacted by the stories of gay men in their short time here.  

What would you like to see in the future of CANFAR?  

A change that I would love to see is to talk more about sex. It's still a huge mode of transmission, specifically sex between men. That is still a huge demographic impacted here . . .  People are quick to think that this is an issue of the past. Because men who have sex with men, intravenous drug users and others are in the McMaster community, it's important to me that they know that this is still an issue that we need to be thinking about and take steps to protect ourselves. I just want to share what's out there so that people can take those steps. It's important to not dismiss the fact that, though we have made strides forward, it still impacts people here.