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Causes HIV is passed through vaginal and anal sexual contact.  This includes both penetrative sex and sexual activities where there is an exchange of body fluids.  There is a very low chance that HIV may be passed through oral...

Sex Toys and Condoms STIs can pass from one person to another from sharing sex toys. When using sex toys, it’s important to understand how to keep them clean and how to prevent STIs from passing between partners. If sex toys are shared, it...

The goal of HIV treatment is to reach an “undetectable” viral load. This means that HIV is suppressed to such a low level that the viral load test is not able to detect any virus in the blood. “Undetectable” does not mean that there is no...

In most cases, PEP stops HIV from establishing itself in the body and will prevent you from becoming HIV positive. To be effective, the treatment needs to be started as soon as possible in the first 72 hours after exposure. The treatment...

Safer Sex STIs are usually less common among women who have sex with women*.  *Here women refers to individuals with vaginas or internal genitals, including trans men and non-binary individuals. The chances of getting an STI...

During this time, there are very high levels of HIV in the body. This is known as a high viral load. When a person has a high viral load, they can easily pass HIV to others. Causes When a person gets HIV, the virus makes copies called CD4...

PrEP is different from PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), as PrEP is taken before exposure to HIV and may be taken on a long-term basis. How does it work? PrEP usually comes as a combination tablet that contains two medications called...

Safer Sex Your chances of getting an STI depend on the kind of sex you are having, whether or not you are using protection and how many other people in your group have the STI. STI testing In BC, rates of STI and HIV are high among men who...

Vaginal douching For people who were born with a vagina (natal vagina), your vagina is a self-cleaning organ. Douching flushes out the healthy bacteria, changing the pH of the vagina.  This can then make it easier for infections to...

If you have one of these STIs, you may be wondering about how this will affect your sex life. Some common concerns include how to manage symptoms and how to talk to partners. Some people feel sad, angry, fearful or uncertain about what...

At A Glance There's a lot to know about sexually transmitted infections (STIs).  Use our convenient "STIs at a glance" chart for information on symptoms, tests and treatments. The details Click on the below links to learn more about...

Here are some links to other websites that you may find helpful, both for your own practice and to share with your clients. Clinical and public health guidelines BC Centre for Disease Control – BC guidelines for the diagnosis, clinical...

SmartSexResource is a service provided by the Clinical Prevention Services Division at the BC Centre for Disease Control, as part of the Provincial Health Services Authority. This Division provides leadership  for the treatment and...

Any information shared with a health care provider is confidential, including test results. When you go for STI testing, you may be asked for personal information such as your name, birth date, Medical Services Plan (BC Care Card) number,...

If you have just found out that you have a sexually transmitted infection (STI), you are not alone. The majority of people who are sexually active will get at least one STI in their lifetime. It’s common to have questions. For more...

If I have HIV, what are the chances that my HIV test will still show negative? To find out, drag the slider to the number of days since you think you were exposed to HIV.   0 days > 100 days 0days Probability of false...

If I have HIV, what are the chances that my HIV test will still show negative? To find out, drag the slider to the number of days since you think you were exposed to HIV.   0 days > 100 days 0days Probability of...

A PDF version of the HIV and AIDS topic page on SmartSexResource.