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STI updates are blog posts from the BCCDC or our community partners about a variety of sexual health topics. These include program updates, clinical practice changes, new research, events, and more. We will not clutter your inbox with frequent emails, and your email address will not be used for any other purposes.
January 3, 2025 by Yassie Pirani, RSW RCC
Background and significance Sexual and mental health are deeply intertwined. Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD) is a type of sexual dysfunction associated with commonly prescribed antidepressant including Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs), and some tricyclic antidepressants. PSSD is distinct from sexual dysfunction associated with depression. Genital numbness, also known as persistent…
November 19, 2024 by Roisin Delaney, Knowledge Mobilization Coordinator, Reproductive Infectious Diseases, BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre
Background New resources have been developed to bring awareness and to support people in testing and treatment for syphilis during pregnancy. Rates of infectious syphilis in BC, including rates of syphilis during pregnancy, have risen significantly in recent years. If someone has a syphilis infection while they are pregnant, they can pass the infection to their…
November 7, 2024 by Alison Moore, Nurse Practitioner, BCCDC STI Clinic; Sarah Malleson, Physician, BCCDC STI Clinic
Summary Clinicians from the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) are conducting a brief survey for people who have had or are about to receive injectable syphilis treatment (bicillin). The goal is to understand peoples’ experiences and pain to inform pain management strategies before and during injectable syphilis treatment. Background & Objectives Syphilis is a…
March 20, 2024 by Deb Schmitz, BC Hepatitis Network, Sofia Bartlett, BC Centre for Disease Control and Janice Duddy, Consultant.
The BC Viral Hepatitis Elimination Roadmap Service Mapping Survey has now launched. The Road map team is collecting responses to this survey until April 8th 2024, so please complete it as soon as possible, and forward this invitation to anyone else who you think may wish to complete it. Our ask from you If you are someone who works…
January 5, 2024 by Janice Duddy, Evaluator and Angela Knight, Program Lead, BC HIV POC Testing Program, BCCDC Public Health Laboratory
The BC Point-of-Care HIV Testing Program, has been operating at the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) since 2011. It was established to increase access of HIV testing in BC under the BC Ministry of Health’s Hope to Health: Towards an AIDS-Free Generation provincial strategy. The program provides point-of-care tests and supplies, free-of-charge to approved…
December 1, 2023 by BCCDC Clinical Prevention Services STI/HIV Education Team
The BC Centre for Disease Control is offering a self-directed online course Overview of Syphilis for Healthcare Providers in BC for clinician in British Columbia. The online course provides clinicians with the key foundational knowledge to support their role in the clinical recognition, screening and appropriate testing, treatment and follow-up of syphilis cases. This course…
November 8, 2023 by BC Centre for Disease Control, Clinical Prevention Services, STI Services
Recent clinical trials show that doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) is efficacious in preventing certain sexually transmitted infections (STI) in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) and transgender women (TGW) with a recent history of bacterial STI (i.e. in the previous year). Further, in many jurisdictions including here in BC, doxycycline…
August 22, 2023 by Vancouver Sex Work Community Alliance
The Vancouver Sex Work Community Alliance is a partnership between the Health Initiative for Men and the Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, aimed at increasing the wellbeing of sex workers of all genders and promoting their access to healthcare across the Lower Mainland. To do this, we combine research, education, advocacy, and outreach…
March 3, 2023 by Maxim Gaudette, Research assistant - Centre de recherche en santé publique (CReSP) , PhD candidate in public health – École de santé publique de l’Université de Montréal
Background Many queer men use gay dating apps such as Grindr, Scruff and Hornet [1], but their impacts on youth are not well understood. To further understand these impacts, we interviewed health professionals who work with young gay, bisexual, trans and queer men (YGBQTM). Summary of research We interviewed 28 health professionals working with YGBTQM in…
December 13, 2022 by Monica Durigon, Nurse Educator, Clinical Prevention Services, BC Centre for Disease Control
What is an HIV self-test? Point of Care (POC) HIV tests, also known as “rapid” HIV tests, screen for HIV antibodies. The first POC HIV test approved by Health Canada is the INSTI® Rapid HIV Test, which has been used in clinics and health care settings for many years. In November 2020, it was approved…