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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.
July 8, 2021 by Terri Buller-Taylor, Research Manager, Hepatitis Education Canada Hepatitis, Clinical Prevention Services, BC Centre for Disease Control
Chronic hepatitis C infection is a leading cause of liver-related illness and death. Liver disease and cirrhosis cause more deaths in Canada than HIV. Other Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infections (STBBIs) can lead to serious health complications and, for people who are pregnant, infectious syphilis can be passed on to their infant and can lead…
May 21, 2021 by Monica Durigon on behalf of the University of British Columbia's Continuing Professional Development program (UBC CPD)
Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) in partnership with The University of British Columbia’s Continuing Professional Development program (UBC CPD) are conducting focus groups to inform the development of a new online course on sexually transmitted and & bloodborne Infections (STIBBI) barriers to testing. They’re recruiting physicians, nurses and people who access STIBBI care from…
February 12, 2021 by Tessa Lawson Tattersall, Clinical Prevention Services, BC Centre for Disease Control
Background The number of syphilis cases in British Columbia (BC) is increasing significantly, and has reached the highest rate of infection seen in over 30 years. This is echoed by Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer who has said that alongside the COVID-19 pandemic, we are “still in the midst of an outbreak of syphilis…
February 10, 2021 by Sarah Watt, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Background Anxiety and other mental health concerns are common among people accessing sexual health services, many of whom are not connected to mental health supports(1). A team of researchers from the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and Simon Fraser University developed ‘Supporting and addressing anxiety in sexual health care: A resource for providers’, which…
January 31, 2021 by Oralia Gómez-Ramírez, Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of British Columbia; Hsiu-Ju Chang, Research Manager, BC Centre for Disease Control
Background Risk calculators for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) use responses to sociodemographic (e.g., age, sex, ethnicity, geographic location), health status, or behavioural questions to estimate a person’s risk for developing or acquiring STIs. They can also inform the most appropriate action for users to take. Identifying features for online risk calculators that…
January 25, 2021 by Sarah Watt, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Collaborators at the Health Initiative for Men, the Community-Based Research Centre, and Simon Fraser University have developed and launched MindMapBC. MindMapBC is an online database of accessible, free or low-cost, and/or LGBTQ2+-affirming mental health supports. Experiences of stigma, discrimination, and marginalization among LGBTQ2+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-, queer, Two-Spirit, and other gender- and sexually-diverse) people…
January 12, 2021 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 and have been used in clinics and health care settings for many years. On November 2, 2020, Health Canada approved the INSTI® HIV Self-Test for use and sale. It is the same test used…
November 16, 2020 by Aidan Ablona, BCCDC; Hsiu-Ju Chang, BCCDC; Daniel Grace, University of Toronto; Cathy Worthington, University of Victoria; Jason Wong, BCCDC; Gina Ogilvie, BCCDC; Mark Gilbert, BCCDC
Background The Digital Sexual Health Initiative team conducted a survey to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people’s sex lives, their access to sexual health services, and whether alternate ways of delivering sexual health services would be acceptable. The results will help inform possible changes & decisions on sexual health services in British Columbia…
September 23, 2020 by the Education Team, Clinical Prevention Services, BC Centre for Disease Control
Non-Certified Practice Revisions to the BCCDC’s Non-Certified Practice Decision Support Tools (DSTs) have been completed and are now posted in the BCCDC Communicable Disease Control Manual, Chapter 5: Sexually Transmitted Infections. A provincial working group comprised of frontline and nursing leads certified in STI practice convened to discuss and review BCCDC’s proposed changes over a…
August 11, 2020 by Dan Udy, Editor/Writer, Health Information Resources, CATIE, Canada’s source for HIV and hepatitis C information
Treatment as prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) have expanded the definitions of “safer sex” for people living with HIV. It’s important to update resources and messages to reflect current evidence, and to support everyone in having happy, healthy sex lives. Your Sexual Health is a new resource from CATIE which gives up-to-date information in plain…