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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.
June 22, 2016 by Jessica Chenery, Program Lead, Chee Mamuk Aboriginal Program, BCCDC, and Amanda Porter, Nurse Educator, Chee Mamuk Aboriginal Program, BCCDC
What’s Around The Kitchen Table? Around The Kitchen Table (ATKT) is a program that actively engages aboriginal women as natural teachers to host conversations around HIV, STI and hepatitis education in their home communities, while incorporating traditional cultural activities. The four day training, hosted by Chee Mamuk Aboriginal Program, provides a detailed framework for facilitators…
July 22, 2015 by Leah Giesbrecht, Communications Coordinator, Positive Living BC
What’s Online Connec+? Positive Living BC recently launched Online Connec+, a new online video peer support group for people living with HIV (PLHIV) in BC. For PLHIV, feeling isolated is common due to the stigma surrounding the virus, so establishing connections to peers can provide emotional support, while breaking down loneliness and segregation. The group…
July 16, 2015 by Bronwen Black, Community Project Manager, HepCBC
Background In honor of World Hepatitis Day (July 28th), HepCBC Hepatitis C Education and Prevention Society has launched a month long campaign in seven cities across British Columbia, including Vancouver, Victoria, Richmond, Surrey, Kelowna, Nanaimo, and Prince George. The goal of this campaign is to increase awareness about hepatitis C testing in British Columbia. An…
June 24, 2015 by Sarah Chown, Program Director, YouthCO, and, Andre Azzam, Mpowerment Coordinator, YouthCO
What is Mpowerment? Mpowerment YVR is an HIV leadership and community-building program designed by and for young self-identified men who are gay, bisexual, or queer. This program provides ongoing opportunities for participants to connect with each other through a variety of social events and educational opportunities designed specifically for young men. Mpowerment is an important…
June 10, 2015 by Marie Carlson RN, BSN, CRN(C), Sexual Health Rebilitation Service team, Vancouver Coastal Health
Did you know that British Columbians have a Sexual Health Rehabilitation Service for persons with disability? Did you know there is also a Vancouver Sperm Retrieval Clinic for men with neurological problems and associated sexual dysfunction who need help having children? A person with a physical disability or chronic illness (such as spinal cord injury,…
April 15, 2015 by Leah Giesbrecht, Communications Coordinator, Positive Living BC
What is the HIV Care Registry? Connecting with care can feel good and can sustain health. Positive Living BC’s HIV Care Registry is an online database designed to help people living with HIV (PLHIV) in BC find the care providers they need. Ultimately, the registry will help empower people to care for their health. The…
December 10, 2014 by Taylor Perry, GPS Research Coordinator, Positive Living BC
“I guess if I had one recommendation to improve the program, it would be to say that it was too short.” – Gay Poz Sex participant Last November, Positive Living BC launched its new eight-week Gay Poz Sex (GPS) program as a randomized controlled trial, after previously holding only non-protocol groups. Early results All eight…
December 5, 2014 by Trevor Corneil, Medical Health Officer & Medical Director, STOP HIV/AIDS, Interior Health
A new campaign is launched Interior Health has launched a new campaign to encourage all adults in the region to get tested for HIV. The “My Health Is Sexy” campaign uses intimate images to convey the message that knowing your HIV status is an important part of a healthy sex life and a good relationship….
October 1, 2014 by Karen Friesen, RN(C), Oak Tree Clinic, Melanie Murray, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Oak Tree Clinic, Sara O’Shaughnessy, PhD
Background Oak Tree Clinic is studying the clinical effectiveness of a weekly text messaging intervention for improving the care and support of vulnerable and hard-to-reach HIV positive patients on antiretroviral therapy (cART). The study is based upon the WeltelKENYA study [1], a randomized control trial demonstrating that weekly text messages to patients from nurses results…
May 28, 2014 by Bobbi Brownrigg, Public Health Initiatives and Innovation Leader, Clinical Prevention Services, BCCDC
Background Despite advances in HIV treatments, as well as campaigns aimed to decrease the stigma of HIV, a small but significant portion of individuals at risk of HIV in BC are delaying or not getting tested due to concerns about confidentiality.[1] To improve HIV testing options for these individuals, the BC Centre for Disease Control…