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Search results for "acute HIV"
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...
It can be hard to tell if you have a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Many STIs do not always show symptoms. Often, people who pass an STI to a sexual partner do not know that they have an infection. The only way to know whether or...
Background In 2013, the BCCDC published results of a pilot study [1] which confirmed the value of pooled nucleic acid testing (PNAT) to identify acute HIV infections in a high risk population of men who have sex with men. PNAT increased...
Background Since 2009, BCCDC has been using a more sensitive HIV test (known as the NAAT - nucleic acid amplification test) for patients who present for HIV testing at several clinics in downtown Vancouver. These clinics - the BCCDC...
Background In a previous update we described the window periods of different HIV tests in BC. In this update we will focus on pooled nucleic acid amplification testing (pooled NAAT), which can detect HIV an average of 10-12 days after...
Background People with newly-acquired HIV experience very high viral loads in the first two months after infection, and are more infectious during this period called acute HIV infection (AHI). We set out to learn about gay men’s...
Background Hepatitis B (HBV) is a vaccine-preventable infection. People who have not been vaccinated, however, may become infected through contact with the body fluids of an HBV-infected person. While the early stages of HBV infection may...
Understanding the window period of HIV tests - time from infection to a positive result - is important in order to provide appropriate information to clients, including when to test after a possible exposure to HIV. Progress in HIV testing...
Background In British Columbia, there are an estimated 12,000 people living with HIV. Each year, 200-300 people ranging in age from 13 to 81 years old are diagnosed with HIV infection. Despite great advances in treatment, many people with...
There are a lot of new test technologies in the pipeline: both new types of tests in the works, such as rapid syphilis tests or point-of-care HIV viral load testing, and new ways to use existing tests, such as self-testing or online...
Background In Canada, it is estimated that one in five people living with HIV are unaware of their status. Although HIV infection rates continue to decline overall in British Columbia, the rates for men who have sex with men (MSM) remain...
On Tuesday, March 1st (10:00 AM PST), Drs. Mark Gilbert and Daniel Grace will give a webinar on "Implementing the 'early' HIV test in Vancouver: from acute diagnosis to undetectable identity". Topic What is the impact of “early” HIV...
Background In recent years, increasing emphasis has been placed on understanding the risk of HIV transmission when the viral load is undetectable and no condom is used. However, limited qualitative research has been done to understand how...
The BC Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory (BCCDC PHL) performs all HCV RNA testing and HCV genotyping in BC. The laboratory also performs a limited number of HIV RNA tests to help confirm acute HIV infection, in prenatal...
Clinical Question: One of my clients had a false positive POC HIV test result. What can I tell my clients to help them deal with this possibility? Response: Sometimes called “rapid” HIV tests, POC HIV tests are HIV antibody screening tests...
The Canadian Association of HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR) hosted their annual conference in Vancouver on April 11-14, 2013. The CAHR conference is a great opportunity for scientists and community members from across Canada to get together and...
Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV infection commonly co-occur because of shared transmission routes and risk behaviors. HIV infection among individuals living with HCV is a major predictor of morbidity and mortality. Risk factors...
Background We set out to learn what HIV-negative gay men in Vancouver understood about sexual safety and their experiences of having anal sex without condoms. Participants were asked to talk about their everyday social and sexual lives,...
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...
Background Prevalence and incidence are two basic measures of disease frequency used to inform our response to the Hepatitis C (HCV) epidemic. Prevalence is the total number of people living with chronic HCV infection, while incidence is...
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