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OBJECTIF: Présenter un guide à l'intention des professionnels des soins primaires sur le dépistage approprié des infections transmissibles sexuellement (ITS) chez des patients qui s'identifient comme des hommes ayant des rapports sexuels avec des hommes (HSH). SOURCES DE L'INFORMATION: Les lignes directrices canadiennes sur le dépistage des ITS et des infections entériques et par des protozoaires; les lignes directrices ontariennes sur le dépistage du VIH et du mpox; et les lignes directrices américaines sur le dépistage des ITS. MESSAGE PRINCIPAL: Dans toutes les régions du Canada, les taux des infections bactériennes, entériques, par protozoaires et systémiques, y compris le VIH et la mpox, qui sont transmissibles sexuellement, ont augmenté de manière constante chez les HSH cisgenres et transgenres. Même si elles présentent souvent des tableaux cliniques semblables, ces infections ont diverses périodes d'incubation et requièrent des méthodes de dépistage différentes, et leur présence doit être effectivement exclue afin d'orienter le diagnostic et le traitement chez des patients qui s'identifient comme des HSH et ont des symptômes de divers problèmes de santé. Par ailleurs, les renseignements et les recommandations cliniques se trouvent souvent dans de multiples lignes directrices plutôt que dans une seule source, ce qui complique encore davantage ces rencontres cliniques. Ce document fournit une consolidation des données probantes et des recommandations sur le dépistage des ITS chez les HSH. CONCLUSION: Les approches de dépistage des ITS devraient être rigoureuses, et fondées sur les facteurs de risque signalés par le patient et sur la présentation clinique. Lorsqu'un risque d'ITS est cerné, mais que les résultats des analyses en laboratoire sont négatifs, il faudrait aussi expliquer aux HSH les recommandations entourant la répétition des tests, de même que les services de prévention du VIH, comme la prophylaxie préexposition.
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Homossexualidade Masculina , Programas de Rastreamento , Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis , Humanos , Masculino , Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis/diagnóstico , Programas de Rastreamento/métodos , Canadá , Infecções por HIV/diagnóstico , Guias de Prática Clínica como Assunto , Fatores de Risco , AdultoRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To provide a guide on appropriate sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing for primary care providers to use with patients who identify as men who have sex with men (MSM). SOURCES OF INFORMATION: Canadian guidelines for STI testing and enteric and protozoan infections; Ontario guidelines for HIV screening and mpox; and US guidelines for STI testing. MAIN MESSAGE: Across Canada rates of sexually transmitted bacterial, enteric, protozoan, and systemic infections-including HIV and mpox-have been steadily increasing among cisgender and transgender MSM. Despite often having similar clinical presentations, these infections have different incubation periods and testing approaches and must be ruled out effectively to guide diagnosis and treatment for MSM-identifying patients who present with symptoms of various conditions. Clinical information and screening recommendations, however, are often found in multiple guidelines rather than in a single source, thus further complicating these clinical encounters. This document provides a consolidated set of evidence and recommendations for STI testing in MSM. CONCLUSION: Testing approaches for STIs should be comprehensive and based on the patient's reported risk factors and clinical presentation. Where ongoing STI risk is identified and negative laboratory test results are received, MSM should also be counselled on recommendations for repeat screening and HIV prevention services, such as preexposure prophylaxis.
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Homossexualidade Masculina , Programas de Rastreamento , Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis , Humanos , Masculino , Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis/diagnóstico , Programas de Rastreamento/métodos , Canadá , Infecções por HIV/diagnóstico , Guias de Prática Clínica como Assunto , Fatores de Risco , AdultoRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: The rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia have been increasing in the years preceding the COVID19 pandemic. Because most gonorrhea and chlamydia infections are located in the oropharynx and rectum for men who have sex with men (MSM), and because at-home self-collected swabs for these infections are not licensed by Health Canada or the United States Food and Drug Administration, decreased accessed to in-person care during and since the COVID19 pandemic potentially means missed case findings. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the performance of at-home self-collected pharyngeal and rectal swabs for gonorrhea and chlamydia nucleic acid amplification testing. METHODOLOGY: All persons who contacted our Sexual Health Clinic and who had a clinical indication to complete oral and/or rectal swabs for gonorrhea and chlamydia were invited to complete at-home swabs in advance of their scheduled appointments. We mailed swabs and instructions to those who consented. Participants brought these swabs to their scheduled in clinic appointments, where we repeated the same swabs. All matching swabs were sent to the laboratory for analysis to determine concordance. RESULTS: From September 8, 2022 to July 18, 2023, we enrolled 296 eligible participants who provided 1184 swabs. For analysis, cancelled specimens and specimens with invalid results were excluded, leaving 1032 swabs for comparison. We identified 66 STI diagnoses in 47 unique participants. Overall accuracy was high (exceeding 99%), except for rectal chlamydia, which was 96.0%. While the performance of self-swabs for chlamydia was lower compared to gonorrhea, at-home swabs identified six chlamydia infections that were missed by in-clinic collected swabs (two pharyngeal, four rectal). Removing these six cases as "false positives" increased overall accuracy for chlamydia detection to 99.7% (pharyngeal) and 97.8% (rectal). CONCLUSION: Self-collected at-home swabs had good performance acceptable for gonorrhea and chlamydia nucleic acid amplification testing.
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Infecções por Chlamydia , Chlamydia trachomatis , Gonorreia , Neisseria gonorrhoeae , Faringe , Reto , Manejo de Espécimes , Humanos , Chlamydia trachomatis/isolamento & purificação , Chlamydia trachomatis/genética , Infecções por Chlamydia/diagnóstico , Infecções por Chlamydia/microbiologia , Gonorreia/diagnóstico , Gonorreia/microbiologia , Masculino , Neisseria gonorrhoeae/isolamento & purificação , Neisseria gonorrhoeae/genética , Reto/microbiologia , Faringe/microbiologia , Manejo de Espécimes/métodos , Adulto , Feminino , Técnicas de Amplificação de Ácido Nucleico/métodos , Homossexualidade Masculina , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Autocuidado , Adulto JovemRESUMO
ABSTRACT: Clinical trials of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection have established its efficacy as upwards of 99%. Despite this, the effectiveness of this medication has been shown to be diminished by individual factors, such as medication adherence. We completed a systematic review to identify and describe interventions to improve oral PrEP adherence. Overall, 16 articles were located. Two of the articles reported on results from the same trial and were collapsed for analysis, bringing the total to 15 studies. Twelve unique PrEP adherence interventions were tested, with the most common intervention being the use of mobile phone technology, which was used in 7 (46%) of the studies. Ten (67%) studies found that medication adherence improved when participants received an intervention to support adherence. Adherence intervention strategies effectively improved PrEP adherence. Further research into PrEP adherence interventions is warranted, particularly among diverse groups.
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Fármacos Anti-HIV , Infecções por HIV , Adesão à Medicação , Profilaxia Pré-Exposição , Humanos , Infecções por HIV/prevenção & controle , Infecções por HIV/tratamento farmacológico , Profilaxia Pré-Exposição/métodos , Adesão à Medicação/psicologia , Fármacos Anti-HIV/administração & dosagem , Fármacos Anti-HIV/uso terapêutico , Administração Oral , Telefone Celular , MasculinoRESUMO
Current international HIV testing guidelines recommend that HIV negative persons from HIV priority groups complete repeat screening every 3-6 months; local guidelines in our jurisdiction recommend that such retesting should occur every 3 months. Such an approach allows for timely HIV diagnosis and linkage to care - and aligns with the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets to have 95% of undiagnosed persons be aware of their HIV status. To meet these aims, new approaches to HIV testing have been developed, including our HIV self-testing initiative, GetaKit.ca, which uses an online screening algorithm to determine eligibility and has built in pathways for re-test reminders, linkage HIV prevention care, and rapid follow-up for positive test results. To understand self-testing frequency in relation to our local recommendations for resting every 3 months, we evaluated data from participants who ordered repeat HIV self-tests through GetaKit.ca. Descriptive analyses were performed on participant characteristics and chi-square tests were performed on aggregated participant risk data. During the study period, 5235 HIV self-tests were distributed to 3627 participants, of whom, 26% ordered more than once and 27% belonged to an HIV priority population. Participants who retested were more likely to have been white, male, and part of an HIV priority population; they were also more likely to have completed prior STI or HIV testing or had a prior STI diagnosis, compared to those who did not. We identified 16 new HIV diagnoses, 2 of which were among repeat testers. Our results suggest that HIV self-testing can be useful to help meet UNAIDS targets to identify undiagnosed infections; however, such efforts are less likely to be successful without adequate linkage to follow-up services, including HIV treatment and prevention care.
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Infecções por HIV , Teste de HIV , Programas de Rastreamento , Autoteste , Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Adulto , Infecções por HIV/diagnóstico , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Programas de Rastreamento/métodos , Teste de HIV/estatística & dados numéricos , Teste de HIV/métodos , Adulto Jovem , Adolescente , Algoritmos , Aceitação pelo Paciente de Cuidados de Saúde/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: In Ontario, Canada we developed and implemented an online screening algorithm for the distribution of HIV self-tests, known as GetaKit. During the COVID pandemic, we adapted the GetaKit algorithm to screen for COVID based on population and infection data and distributed COVID rt-LAMP self-tests (using the Lucira Check-It®) to eligible participants. METHODS: GetaKit/COVID was a prospective observational study that occurred over a 7-month period from September 2021 to April 2022. All potential participants completed an online registration and risk assessment, including demographic information, COVID symptoms and risk factors, and vaccination status. Bivariate comparisons were performed for three outcomes: results reporting status, vaccination status, and COVID diagnosis status. Data were analysed using Chi-Square for categorial covariates and Independent Samples T-Test and Mann-Whitney U test for continuous covariates. Bivariate logistic regression models were applied to examine associations between the covariates and outcomes. RESULTS: During the study period, we distributed 6469 COVID self-tests to 4160 eligible participants; 46% identified as Black, Indigenous or a Person of Colour (BIPOC). Nearly 70% of participants reported their COVID self-test results; 304 of which were positive. Overall, 91% also reported being vaccinated against COVID. Statistical analysis found living with five or fewer people, having tested for COVID previously, and being fully vaccinated were positive factors in results reporting. For COVID vaccination, people from large urban centers, who identified their ethnicity as white, and who reported previous COVID testing were more likely to be fully vaccinated. Finally, being identified as a contact of someone who had tested positive for COVID and the presence of COVID-related symptoms were found to be positive factors in diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: While most participants who accessed this service were vaccinated against COVID and the majority of diagnoses were identified in participants who had symptoms of, or an exposure to, COVID, our program was able to appropriately link participants to recommended follow-up based on reported risks and results. These findings highlight the utility of online screening algorithms to provide health services, particularly for persons with historical barriers to healthcare access, such as BIPOC or lower-income groups.
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COVID-19 , Humanos , COVID-19/diagnóstico , COVID-19/epidemiologia , COVID-19/prevenção & controle , Ontário/epidemiologia , Teste para COVID-19 , Programas de Rastreamento/métodos , VacinaçãoRESUMO
Traditional health sciences (including nursing) paradigms, conceptual models, and theories have relied heavily upon notions of the 'person' or 'patient' that are deeply rooted in humanistic principles. Our intention here, as a collective academic assemblage, is to question taken-for-granted definitions and assumptions of the 'person' from a critical posthumanist perspective. To do so, the cinematic works of filmmaker David Cronenberg offer a radical perspective to revisit our understanding of the 'person' in nursing and beyond. Cronenberg's work explores bodily transformation and mutation, with the body as a fragile and malleable vessel. Cronenberg's work allows us to interrogate the body in all its complexity, contingency, and hybridity and provides avenues of rupture within current understandings of 'the person'. Reinventing the definition of what it means to be human, critical posthumanism offers opportunities to both critique humanist theories and build affirmative futurities. Also drawing on the work of Deleuze and Guattari, specifically, their concept of becoming, we propose a critical posthumanist alternative to the conceptualization of the person in the health sciences, that of the becoming-mutant, so frequently explored in Cronenberg's films. Such a conceptualization permits the inclusion of various technological interventions of the contemporary subject: The postperson. This position offers the health science disciplines a radical reconceptualization of the conceptual and theoretical approaches, extending beyond those trapped within the quagmire of humanistic principles.
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Humanismo , Filmes Cinematográficos , HumanosRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Current Canadian guidelines focus on indications and uptake of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among groups at-risk for HIV, such as gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with men (GBM). Less, however, is known about the outcomes of PrEP offers. This study presents on the responses of GBM to multiple offers for PrEP. METHODS: In Ottawa, Canada, we instituted Canada's first nurse-led PrEP program, pre-exposure prophylaxis by nurses (PrEP-RN), where nurses offered PrEP referrals to persons with indicators for HIV. Responses to offers from nurses and HIV diagnoses were recorded and assessed for multiple occurrences based on responses. Descriptive analyses were used to report frequencies and percentages of findings and chi-square analyses were conducted to determine significance based on HIV risk for those who accepted versus declined PrEP. RESULTS: Over a 4-year period, 644 PrEP offers were made to 236 unique patients, all of whom were GMB, the majority of whom identified as male. Of the eligible patients, 50.8% accepted and 50.0% declined after multiple offers. Seven trajectories were identified in terms of reasons for accepting or declining PrEP. PrEP referrals made based on clinical guidelines and to those who had changes in risk factors over time were significantly correlated with PrEP acceptance. We noted five HIV diagnoses, all of which were among GBM who declined PrEP at least once. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, it appears multiple PrEP may yield increased PrEP acceptance among a sample of GBM.
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Infecções por HIV , Profilaxia Pré-Exposição , Minorias Sexuais e de Gênero , Humanos , Masculino , Homossexualidade Masculina , Canadá , Encaminhamento e Consulta , Infecções por HIV/diagnóstico , Infecções por HIV/prevenção & controleRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: In response to ongoing new HIV diagnoses among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) and limited access points for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care, we established Canada's first nurse-led HIV prevention service in Ottawa, Canada-PrEP-RN. As part of this service, registered nurses became the primary provider in PrEP delivery and monitoring. OBJECTIVES: To (1) gather patients' sentiments and experiences related to nurse-led PrEP and (2) identify the implications for nurses working in sexual healthcare. METHODOLOGY: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 gbMSM participants who had received, or were presently enrolled in, HIV prevention care from nurses in the PrEP-RN clinic. Interview transcripts were reviewed and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Our analysis revealed two major themes of: The Sexual Health Nurse as the Expert and Patients Reliance on Nurses. The first theme discussed patients' positive attitudes toward nurses, in terms of the knowledge nurses possessed and the kind and efficient services they. The accommodating nature of nurses, however, led patients to become dependent on their care, which was the focus of the second theme. This reliance on nurses created challenges when patients transitioned from PrEP-RN to alternate providers for ongoing care. CONCLUSION: These findings were examined to understand the effect of patients' perceptions of nurses on nursing practice. Despite patients' confidence in nurses' ability to provide PrEP care, the expectations they placed onto nurses to address the totality of their needs created competing demands for nurses to be both a leader in HIV prevention care-and fulfill the image of the caring, healthcare 'hero', which created feelings of moral distress among nurses. As increasing initiatives focus on task-shifting of healthcare roles to nurses, understanding the patients' perspective is essential in maintaining effective nurse-patient relationships.
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Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida , Fármacos Anti-HIV , Infecções por HIV , Enfermeiras e Enfermeiros , Profilaxia Pré-Exposição , Minorias Sexuais e de Gênero , Masculino , Humanos , Homossexualidade Masculina , Profilaxia Pré-Exposição/métodos , Infecções por HIV/prevenção & controle , Infecções por HIV/tratamento farmacológico , Fármacos Anti-HIV/uso terapêutico , Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida/tratamento farmacológicoRESUMO
When analyzing the data for Ontario, Canada, HIV rates continue to be highest among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM). Since HIV diagnosis is a key component of HIV care, self-testing has provided options for allowing this population to access care, resulting in a significant number of first-time testers. Between 1 April 2021 and 31 January 2022, 882 gbMSM participants ordered an HIV self-test through GetaKit. Of these, 270 participants reported that they had never undergone HIV testing previously. Our data showed that first-time testers were generally younger, members of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) communities and they reported more invalid test results than those who had tested previously. This suggests that HIV self-testing may be a more successful and appealing component of the HIV prevention armamentarium for this population, but one that is not without its shortcomings as an entry to care.
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Infecções por HIV , Minorias Sexuais e de Gênero , Masculino , Humanos , Homossexualidade Masculina , Infecções por HIV/diagnóstico , Infecções por HIV/prevenção & controle , Comportamento Sexual , OntárioRESUMO
Background and Purpose: Within nursing discourses, the concept of desire among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) is not well understood. Among nurses, this concept is often constructed as being synonymous with sexual and other risk-taking behaviors, which can influence the type of care nurses provide to gbMSM and affect how this group engages with nurses - and their health. This misinterpretation of what desire represents has resulted in gbMSM becoming the target of public health campaigns and nursing interventions aimed at curbing their deviant behaviors. Such an approach by nurses, however, overlooks the meaning of desire among gbMSM. Methods: To enhance nursing knowledge about, and improve nursing practice for, gbMSM, a concept analysis of desire specific to this group was undertaken using Rodger's evolutionary model. For this analysis, 90 articles reviewed from the disciplines of nursing and allied health, medicine, and psychology. Results: Findings from this analysis revealed a complexity to desire among gbMSM that extended well beyond engagement in radical sexual practices and into dimensions of desire for connection, freedom, and acceptance. These revelations were applied to demonstrate how nurses' beliefs about desire and subsequent regulations for "good health" can inhibit the ways in which desire is produced among gbMSM. Implications for Practice: Such findings demonstrate a need to develop future approaches for nursing practice that recognize the innate value and individual perspectives about desire held by this group, which can be uniquely tailored to meet their health needs.
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Infecções por HIV , Minorias Sexuais e de Gênero , Humanos , Masculino , Bissexualidade/psicologia , Homossexualidade Masculina/psicologia , Comportamento SexualRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To determine the real-world outcomes associated with using the GetaKit.ca website to distribute COVID self-tests to persons with risk factors, with a focus on facilitating testing for persons who are Black, Indigenous, or of Colour (BIPOC). METHODS: GetaKit was an open cohort observational study to distribute free self-tests, starting with HIV self-testings and then adding the Lucira Check-It® COVID self-test. Participants would register on our website and complete a risk assessment, which would calculate their need for each type of testing. RESULTS: Focusing on the COVID self-tests, from September to December 2021 (with targeted outreach in winter 2022), we distributed 6474 COVID self-tests to 3653 persons through 4161 unique orders, of which 47% came from BIPOC participants. Compared to white participants, BIPOC participants were more likely to have been a contact of COVID but less likely to be vaccinated. As well, 69% of results were reported back via the GetaKit.ca website, with 5.3% of these being positive. The positivity rate for our 3653 participants was 9.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Delivering COVID self-tests via our website provided tests to BIPOC communities and yielded positivity rates that matched local COVID testing centres. This highlights the utility of such systems for delivering testing during future pandemics.
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COVID-19 , Humanos , COVID-19/epidemiologia , SARS-CoV-2 , Teste para COVID-19 , Pandemias/prevenção & controle , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
In Ontario, new HIV diagnoses continue to affect gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) and persons of African, Caribbean, or Black (ACB) ethnicities. Because treatment and suppressed viral loads flow from diagnosis, testing is key. We sought to determine the outcomes of online ordering and mail-out of free at-home HIV self-testing in Ontario, Canada. We implemented the GetaKit study to offer such free HIV self-testing using the INSTI® test and offered it via a website (GetaKit.ca) to eligible persons in Ontario. From April 1, 2021 to January 31, 2022, we distributed kits to 1551 persons; 40% were white and 26% were ACB. We found that ACB participants were less likely to fulfill established criteria for HIV PrEP, such as previous sexually transmitted infections diagnoses and drug use, despite having a similar test positivity rate. We also found that ACB women, who may represent a larger number of new infections than previously thought, did not have a higher rate of first-time testing. Our results suggest that HIV self-testing can enable testing, but that work is required to increase uptake among ACB persons and women. Overall, HIV self-testing thus corresponded with increased testing among persons who were Black, yet lower rates of results reporting. Patient or Public Contributions: Community members from the AIDS Committee of Ottawa, Max Ottawa, and Black Cap, and nurses from Ottawa Public Health were involved in the design, promotion, and implementation of this study.
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Infecções por HIV , Minorias Sexuais e de Gênero , Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis , Masculino , Humanos , Feminino , Infecções por HIV/diagnóstico , Homossexualidade Masculina , AutotesteRESUMO
Background: We sought to evaluate if increased uptake of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) correlated to population-level changes in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemiology, in a setting with an integrated PrEP delivery system centred on a public health nurse-led PrEP clinic and referral process. Methods: This study was conducted in Ottawa, Canada, where all positive HIV test results are reported to the public health units. Risk factor information is also collected by nurses and subsequently entered into a provincial database. We extracted these data for Ottawa from 2017 to 2021 and restricted our analyses to first-time diagnoses. Results: We identified 154 persons with a new HIV diagnosis. Over this period, the number of new diagnoses among men who have sex with men, the group most targeted for PrEP, decreased by 50%-60%. We did not identify changes in the number of new diagnoses based on race, intravenous drug use or among women. Conclusion: Increasing PrEP uptake in Ottawa in 2017 to 2021 coincided with a significant decrease in new HIV diagnoses among men who have sex with men. PrEP uptake in Ottawa, particularly by those most at risk, is likely supported by an integrated approach via PrEP-RN, a nurse-led public health program where individuals diagnosed with syphilis or rectal gonorrhea or chlamydia receive an automatic offer of PrEP. While these findings cannot causally link PrEP-RN or PrEP with this reduction in new HIV diagnoses, these changes in HIV epidemiology in Ottawa occurred exclusively among the group targeted for PrEP. These data highlight the efficacy and importance of PrEP.
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ABSTRACT: HIV self-testing corresponds with more frequent testing, better user satisfaction, and higher positivity rates compared with clinic-based testing. We implemented an open cohort prospective observational study, which provided a website through which persons could do online HIV self-assessments and, if eligible, receive a free HIV self-test. We implemented this project on July 20, 2021 and used the bioLytical INSTI® test. Herein, we describe the number of tests participants reported as invalid, which started at a rate of one fifth of all ordered tests and decreased to 8% after we provided more instructions on completing the test. Our data suggest that a high rate of invalids occur with self-testing in the real-world. Although this has cost implications, we feel this rate is acceptable, considering that 25% of our cohort reported no previous HIV testing. Our take-away message is that HIV self-testing requires additional supports and resources to function as an effective testing intervention.
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Infecções por HIV , Teste de HIV , Humanos , Programas de Rastreamento , Estudos Prospectivos , AutotesteRESUMO
Background: The incidence of infectious syphilis in Canada has declined throughout the latter decades of the last century; however, in Ottawa, an upsurge in new cases began in 2001. The local epidemic continues to involve predominantly gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM), but in recent years, has expanded further into heterosexual populations. This has coincided with an increase in the number of pregnant women testing positive for syphilis on antenatal screening. The aim of this study is to understand the changing epidemiology in infectious syphilis cases diagnosed in Ottawa to strengthen primary care management and public health response. Methods: Surveillance data from the Ontario Ministry of Health were used to describe the evolving epidemiology of infectious syphilis in the Ottawa region from 2010 to 2019, including a comprehensive chart review of cases from 2015-2019. Results: The number of cases of infectious syphilis in Ottawa rose from 50 cases in 2010 to 171 cases in 2019. These rates were consistently high among males, and increased from 10.9/100,000 in 2010 to 30.9/100,000 in 2019. The rates among females, in comparison, increased from 0.4/100,000 in 2010 to 3.2/100,000 in 2019, with corresponding increases during antenatal screening (with no congenital syphilis cases to date). Conclusion: As the syphilis epidemic continues to evolve in Ottawa, ongoing surveillance plays a crucial role. Public health resources must address the needs of populations already impacted but at the same time be flexible enough to respond to changes in trends and support clinicians providing care to populations where the epidemic is emerging.
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OBJECTIVES: In Canada, HIV diagnoses continue unabated, with many of these cases being identified at a late stage of infection. While current public health surveillance data does not capture timing of diagnoses, locally, we identified a number of patients concurrently diagnosed with AIDS and HIV. DESIGN: To understand the key characteristics, presenting symptoms, and risk factors associated with an AIDS diagnosis, we undertook a prospective chart review of HIV and AIDS diagnoses in Ottawa, Canada. SAMPLE: Sixty seven charts of persons diagnosed with HIV and AIDS between 2015 and 2021 were reviewed. MEASUREMENTS: Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Results show some inconsistencies regarding HIV risk factors identified in published literature compared to those for persons diagnosed with AIDS in this study. Namely, patients in this review were more likely to be male, Black (from HIV-endemic regions), and heterosexual, and were diagnosed at critical stage in infection (total average CD4+ count of 92.9 cells/mm3 ) with 44.8% of patients concurrently diagnosed with one or more AIDS-related opportunistic infections. CONCLUSIONS: The findings can be applied to strengthen HIV screening efforts in primary care settings, particularly among patients who present with persistent symptoms or illnesses related to chronic HIV infection. Additional considerations should be made for public health nurses to provide counseling and linkage to HIV testing/prevention services for patients at the time of an STI or Tuberculosis diagnosis and to increase AIDS-specific data collection.
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Infecções Oportunistas Relacionadas com a AIDS , Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida , Infecções por HIV , Infecções Oportunistas Relacionadas com a AIDS/complicações , Infecções Oportunistas Relacionadas com a AIDS/epidemiologia , Infecções Oportunistas Relacionadas com a AIDS/prevenção & controle , Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida/complicações , Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida/diagnóstico , Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida/epidemiologia , Contagem de Linfócito CD4 , Feminino , Infecções por HIV/complicações , Infecções por HIV/diagnóstico , Infecções por HIV/epidemiologia , Humanos , Masculino , Estudos ProspectivosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: While HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has become more readily available in Canada, its uptake among HIV priority populations continues to be affected by system-level and individual factors. Such impediments relate to challenges by healthcare providers in assessing HIV-related risk and variability in patients' motivations for PrEP initiation and continued engagement in care. METHODS: In Ottawa, Canada, a group of researchers implemented Canada's first nurse-led HIV prevention program, known as PrEP-RN. As part of this pilot, qualitative interviews were completed with fourteen patients who had accessed PrEP-RN. The purpose of these interviews was to understand participants' perspectives related to HIV prevention and experiences accessing care through a nurse-led service. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis, which were organized into the two major themes of (1) motivations for PrEP initiation and (2) beliefs about the benefits of PrEP. RESULTS: Findings revealed participants' motivations for PrEP differed from healthcare provider's views of risk, which were influenced by external life factors and personal perceptions of risk. In addition, participants discussed the benefits of PrEP in terms of its ability to manage their potential mistrust of sexual partners, control their sexual health, and liberate fears and anxieties related to HIV. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, health and allied providers should consider incorporating individual motivations and beliefs into patient education and counselling about PrEP to better target HIV prevention care at persons are at elevated risk of HIV. These perspectives could also be used to re-structure web and social media campaigns to increase PrEP uptake among HIV priority populations.
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Fármacos Anti-HIV , Infecções por HIV , Profilaxia Pré-Exposição , Fármacos Anti-HIV/uso terapêutico , Infecções por HIV/tratamento farmacológico , Infecções por HIV/prevenção & controle , Humanos , Motivação , Papel do Profissional de EnfermagemRESUMO
Group sex among men who have sex with men may be understood as a 'radical' practice insofar as it transgresses dominant social discourses around appropriate sexual relations-prioritizing heteronormative, monogamous and risk-averse sex. These practices are generally defined as steeped in risk, most commonly due to the potential for transmitting human immunodeficiency virus and sexually transmitted infections and accompanied by the possibility of legal and social repercussions. Our ethnographic research study explored the desires, practices and contexts of group sex participants (n = 10) within a popular group sex party destination located in the United States. We employ a poststructuralist perspective (utilizing the work of Deleuze and Guattari) to understand group sex events with the pretext that bodies have no inherent ethics, meaning or essence: they are 'bodies without organs'. We identify group sex as a form of boundary play, in which participants pursue new limits to what their bodies can do but within a carefully constructed environment that establishes norms of interaction meant to secure trust and safety between participants. A variety of risk reduction practices are shown to be promoted and honoured within these eventful sexual(ized) spaces. The application of poststructuralist concepts of 'boundary play' and 'bodies without organs' helped to depict the construction and navigation of pleasure, safety and risk among group sex participants.