Category: News

HIV prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic: How it started, how it’s going

Now, more than a year after the first Canadian COVID-19 case, we are struggling not just with a second, simultaneous pandemic in addition to HIV/AIDS, which has resulted in a change in the way people connect, engage in sexual activity and seek healthcare. This has an impact on how people access and take PrEP and has created a whole new set of challenges to address.

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From hesitance to confidence: ACCHO’s new COVID-19 vaccine video

The African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO) is a provincial coalition of organizations and individuals committed to HIV prevention, education, advocacy, research, treatment, care and support for African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) communities. They spoke to CATIE about the impact of COVID-19 in ACB communities, and their efforts to improve vaccine confidence.

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Preventing HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic: PEP and PIP to the rescue

HIV continues to be a global health threat, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In keeping with UNAIDS goals for reducing that burden, HIV prevention by PEP and PrEP have played major roles in reaching those goals. While PrEP has been instrumental in preventing HIV in people with high-risk exposures, we have seen gaps in HIV prevention strategies, especially among individuals who have less frequent exposures. This is where “pill-in-pocket PEP”, better known as PIP, has a substantial role to play.

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The promise that the COVID-19 vaccine brings: A hepatitis C nurse’s perspective

Winding through the basement of the hospital, past the spin studio that has been closed for a long time, I follow the snaking line of people. I stand on my designated dot on the floor, a reminder of the physical distancing measures we’ve all grown accustomed to this past year. I go through registration, and then into another line, multiple staff directing me at every turn, ensuring we respect the space and flow in this most circuitous of marathons. I sit down beside a nurse, who goes through the consent form one last time, as she picks up the needle...

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Understanding prescribing trends for hepatitis C treatment in Ontario

The introduction and wide availability of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) as a treatment for hepatitis C through a phased rollout from 2015 to 2018 held the promise of expanded access to treatment. These simpler treatments carried fewer clinical restrictions and required less specialist support, opening the possibility for primary care providers to treat their patients with hepatitis C. Given barriers to healthcare access for people who use drugs, those of us at the Toronto Community Hep C Program were curious to find out if this had in fact happened.

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COVID-19, curfews and the overdose crisis: A Quebec perspective

To better understand the issues and priorities of people who use drugs in Quebec during the COVID-19 pandemic and the overdose crisis, CATIE conducted a short interview with Frankie Lambert and Chantal Montmorency, two staff members of the Quebec association to promote the health of people who use drugs (AQPSUD). Here are the concerns raised by their community.

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