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 or volunteers in services or issues relating to hepatitis B or C in BC, please complete the Service Mapping Survey. The survey has a combination of check-box and open-ended questions related to the services in your community or area of ..read more

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 BC health care settings. The BCCDC is currently conducting an evaluation of the BC Point-of-Care HIV Testing Program and we are inviting service providers to participate in an online survey. The purpose of the evaluation is to understand ..read more

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 is for all healthcare providers involved with the case management and follow up of syphilis cases and their contacts. What are the goals of the course? Increase awareness of the public health importance and burden of illn ..read more

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 is now being provided to some patients for STI prevention. Although there is strong evidence to support the use of doxyPEP to prevent STIs in these populations, it remains unclear what potential impacts this intervention w ..read more

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 services to sex workers to combat their inequitable healthcare access and provide evidence-based strategies to promoting sex workers’ occupational health, safety, and human rights. Current Education Opportunity We are currently offering a series of no ..read more

There is a global outbreak of monkeypox in countries where it is not usually found. Monkeypox cases have been reported in BC with evidence of community transmission (not connected to travel). We are regularly updating information and case counts on this page: bccdc.ca/monkeypox Most cases globally have been in men who identify as having sex with other men. Monkeypox is not known to be sexually transmitted. However, for most people sexual activity involves close, prolonged contact, and that’s how monkeypox is spread. Anyone can get or pass on monkeypox. We heard from community partners tha ..read more

You Matter Pathways to STBBI Care – Project Update –  March 2022 People who experience incarceration are disproportionately affected by STBBIs, with significantly higher rates of infections such as hepatitis C virus (HCV) among people in prison compared to the overall population. People who have experienced incarceration can also face many difficulties in getting access to testing and treatment for STBBIs, both while they are in prison and when they return to the community. There can be a lack of trust and power imbalances between people in prison and the health care staff which can make ..read more

Background GetCheckedOnline is a comprehensive internet-based testing service for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) available in select communities in British Columbia (BC), Canada, first implemented in 2014. The Digital Sexual Health Initiative team led by Dr. Mark Gilbert at the BC Centre for Disease Control conducted a study to understand the macro-level structural barriers and facilitators to the ongoing implementation of GetCheckedOnline, specifically its scale-up, adaptation, maintenance, and sustainability. Figure 1. Implementation phases of GetChec ..read more

Background HIV prevention continues to be a public health priority in British Columbia (BC). Incidence and prevalence are two measures of disease frequency used to inform our response to the HIV epidemic. Incidence is the number of new infections (both diagnosed and undiagnosed) that occur in an area over a year whereas prevalence is the total number of people living with HIV in that area in that year. Routine surveillance of HIV is based on new diagnoses of HIV [BC HIV Annual Report 2017]. However, because people can be living with HIV for a long time before they are diagnosed, the number of ..read more

Overview This self directed online course, offered by the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), is intended for Registered Nurses and other health care professionals who offer HIV testing or prevention services in their communities of workplace. The goals of the HIV Testing Online Course are: To provide the foundation for Nurses to competently provide HIV testing services in their communities, and; To enhance knowledge around HIV prevention and testing strategies, services and resources Please share this opportunity within your networks. The course is 4-5 hours in length and a certificate o ..read more