Despite major medical advances in the treatment for HIV/AIDS—with regular daily medication, the virus can be rendered inactive and untransferable—there is still fear and discomfort surrounding contact with someone who has it. In fact, according to a survey conducted by Casey House , only 38% of Canadians said they would be willing to be touched by somebody with HIV because many still believe it can be transmitted that way. “So we said ‘let’s challenge that stigma, because you can’t actually pass HIV from skin to skin’,” says Joanne Simons, CEO of Casey House. That’s the intent of Healing House , a pop-up HIV+ spa that opens its doors for two days, on November 30th and December 1st, which is World AIDS Day. Fifteen HIV+ Healers will be providing free services : a head, scalp, back and shoulder treatment, an express hand treatment and mini-facials. “It’s really so that we can invite the public in and say ‘are you willing to do this, are you nervous?,” says Simons of the conversati...