CATIE Blog | HIV and hepatitis C news and opinions

Point-of-care RNA testing: Can it close the gap in hepatitis C diagnosis?

April 22, 2024 • By Tamara Barnett

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that can cause liver damage and scarring and make a person very sick if left untreated. Nearly one-quarter of people who have ever had hepatitis C in Canada are unaware of their status, so increasing testing remains pivotal if Canada is to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2030. Many advances have been made over the past few years, and more tools are available than ever to test people for hepatitis C. Point-of-care RNA testing for hepatitis C is of particular interest to many service providers because it can be conducted outside...

Tackling misconceptions: Hepatitis C treatment for people who use drugs

April 22, 2024 • By Romane Close

With the advent of treatments called direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), a huge number of people across Canada have been successfully cured of hepatitis C. However, efforts to cure some of the most affected communities continue to be hindered by incorrect or outdated information. For example, many successes in curing hepatitis C have been achieved through the determination of people who use drugs, and yet they still encounter access barriers due to discrimination and problematic misconceptions around treatment eligibility. These gaps in knowledge can be addressed by raising awareness about hepatitis C treatment and organizations across Canada have been working to clarify...

Extrahepatic manifestations: Impacts of hepatitis C beyond the liver

April 22, 2024 • By Dahn Jeong and Daryl Luster

Hepatitis C (HCV) is a viral infection primarily known for its impact on the liver but it also has far-reaching consequences that extend to other parts of the body. These conditions, caused by hepatitis C infection outside the liver, are known as extrahepatic manifestations (EHMs).

Busting common myths about hepatitis C treatment in Canada

March 19, 2024 • By Sofia Bartlett

Highly effective medications that can cure hepatitis C infection, called direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), have been approved for use in Canada for people over the age of 18 since 2014. These medications are well-tolerated, nearly 100% effective, and have treatment durations of just eight or 12 weeks. DAAs have simplified hepatitis C treatment considerably, allowing treatments to be prescribed by primary care providers, such as nurse practitioners and family doctors. Now that the treatment itself is so simple, getting coverage for reimbursement of DAAs is the most complicated and challenging aspect of treating hepatitis C infection in Canada. Almost 90% of...

A conversation between Dr. Theresa Tam and Jade Elektra

February 29, 2024 • By Dr. Theresa Tam and Jade Elektra

Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) refers to the scientific consensus that HIV cannot be sexually transmitted when a person living with HIV consistently takes antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the amount of HIV in their blood remains very low—so low that it cannot be detected by many standard HIV tests. While the U=U message empowers people living with HIV and reduces stigma associated with the virus, it is only effective if individuals living with HIV are able to continuously take their medication. Some people in Canada, such as African, Caribbean and Black communities, Indigenous people, gay, bisexual, and other men who have...

Insights from the Engage Study: HPV vaccine effectiveness and uptake among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men

February 13, 2024 • By Dr. Ann Burchell and Dan Miller

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common virus that is most easily passed during sexual contact. The body clears most HPV infections on its own, however some become persistent. There are many different types of HPV. Certain types can cause cancer, including anal, cervical and oral cancers. Some types cause anal and genital warts. HPV cannot be cured by medication, but there are vaccines that can prevent a person from getting some types of HPV. All HPV vaccines protect against the two types that cause most cases of anal and cervical cancer (types 16 and 18), and some vaccines protect...