CATIE Blog | HIV and hepatitis C news and opinions

The Medicine Bundle: An Indigenous approach to HIV self-testing

February 15, 2023 • By Lane Bonertz

In April 2022, the Two-Spirit Program at Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) launched the pilot of the Medicine Bundle, an HIV self-testing initiative in British Columbia created by and for Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ Indigenous folks. The pilot emerged from nearly two years of consultation and engagement with Elders, activists, researchers and community members within the Two-Spirit community, who provided guidance on culturally sensitive and intentional ways to address disparities in access to HIV testing. Following its initial run in August 2022, the Medicine Bundle has now returned to once again serve Indigenous folks wishing to access HIV self-testing. This time around,...

The Northern, Remote and Isolated Indigenous Communities Initiative: Community-based testing from COVID-19 to HIV and STBBI

February 15, 2023 • By Adrienne Meyers and Paul Sandstrom

Access to HIV and STBBI testing Laboratory testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBI) can be inaccessible to certain populations such as northern, remote and isolated Indigenous (NRI) communities. This is due to several factors, such as: Decentralized, community-owned, community-based testing (CBT) and health services help address these factors and reduce historical health inequities faced by people living in NRI communities throughout Canada. Providing a variety of innovative testing options can be particularly useful for reaching the undiagnosed by offering greater accessibility, privacy and convenience, as well as by reducing the stigma associated with accessing conventional...

HIV self-testing: a new tool in our toolbox

February 15, 2023 • By Ayibatonye Oriakhi and Christie Johnston

HIV self-testing has arrived in Canada! As we reported a few months ago, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) announced new funding to increase access to HIV self-testing. Since then, community-based organizations across the country have been distributing HIV self-test kits for free, as well as supporting their clients to use them. Distribution began in November 2022 and is expected to continue at least until March 2023. Together with PHAC, Communities, Alliances & Networks (CAAN), CATIE, Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) and REACH Nexus are collaborating to support frontline workers to incorporate self-testing into their services. We are working with...

Five key recommendations to advance the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women living with HIV

February 13, 2023 • By Zoe Osborne, Valerie Nicholson and Angela Kaida

Love Positive Women is an international movement that invites us to celebrate women living with HIV around the globe. This annual event is an opportunity to engage in acts of caring for the women living with HIV in our community, both in private acts and in pushing for systems change. In Canada, women make up approximately 25% of all people living with HIV. Despite this, women’s voices, priorities, and distinct needs have been underrepresented in the national conversation about HIV. Particularly in the space of sexual and reproductive health and rights, there are few initiatives that focus specifically on women...

A conversation between Dr. Theresa Tam and Bruce Richman

January 12, 2023 • By Dr. Theresa Tam and Bruce Richman

Thanks to advances in HIV science over the last four decades, people living with HIV who are on medication and maintain an undetectable amount of virus in their blood can lead long, healthy lives without the fear of passing HIV to their sexual partners. This is the powerful message behind “Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U).” People living with HIV, alongside leaders in the community, have worked tirelessly to share the U=U message and have made significant progress since 2016. This life-changing science has transformed what it means to live and love with HIV globally. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health...

INHSU 2022: Canada’s place in the global landscape of the health of people who use drugs and hepatitis C elimination

December 21, 2022 • By Rivka Kushner and Brooke Nolan

The International Network on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU) hosted its first hybrid virtual and in-person conference in Glasgow, Scotland, from October 19 to 21, 2022. INHSU brings together healthcare and social service providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, advocates, policy-makers and community leaders to discuss emerging issues, innovative programs, new research and approaches to supporting the health of people who use drugs around the world. Main conference themes included reducing harms and improving the health of people who use drugs, as well as assessing progress and possibilities related to achieving the elimination of hepatitis C...