Rapid Responses

Health outcomes of and interventions to reduce methamphetamine use among men who have sex with men

-+*What health risks and health outcomes are associated with methamphetamine use among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men? What interventions have proven effective at preventing or reducing the amount and frequency of methamphetamine use among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men?

Illustration of three supervised consumption booths

The impact of supervised drug consumption services (SCS)

-+*Download pdf Questions  Key take-home messages The issue and why it’s important Supervised drug consumption sites or services (SCS) refer to spaces where individuals can use pre-obtained illicit substances in the presence of trained health professionals (19, 20). A model of care based on harm reduction, SCS are an evidence-based intervention (21–24) aiming to reduce …

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Effectiveness, uptake and delivery of non-occupational HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)

-+*Download pdf Questions  Key take-home messages The issue and why it’s important HIV post-exposure prophylaxis, also known as PEP, is a way to prevent HIV in an HIV-negative person who may have been recently exposed to the virus (25). From a clinical viewpoint, PEP management involves addressing five key questions (26): According to the 2017 …

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An alarm clock with pills beside it

Awareness, accessibility and uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among cisgender and transgender women at risk of HIV infection

-+*Download pdf Questions  Key take-home messages The issue and why it’s important Women at risk of HIV are confronted with multiple barriers throughout the HIV care continuum, including (but not limited to) stigma, discrimination, and oppression around their HIV status (24, 27, 28, 41, 43, 44). In Ontario, the following groups of women are disproportionately …

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Comparing the effectiveness and adverse events of intranasal and intramuscular naloxone formulations for opioid overdose reversal

-+*Download pdf Questions  Key take-home messages The issue and why it’s important Since 2016, opioid-related deaths have been rapidly rising in Canada (7). In 2021, the Public Health Agency of Canada reported 20.9 opioid-related deaths per 100,000 individuals (n=8,006), rising from 7.8 opioid-related deaths per 100,000 individuals (n=2,830) in 2016 (7). At the time of …

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doxycycline pills

Doxycycline prophylaxis for the prevention of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

-+*Download pdf Questions  Key take-home messages The issue and why it’s important In Canada, bacterial STIs are a significant public health concern as incidence rates have risen markedly since 2010 (21). Between 2010 and 2019, the number of reported cases of chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea all increased, by 33.1%, 393.1%, and 181.7%, respectively (21). One …

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A liver, pills, and a close-up of the HCV virus

Best practices to increase engagement and retention in hepatitis C care among people who use drugs

-+*Download pdf Question  Key take-home messages The issue and why it’s important Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is transmitted when the blood of an infected person comes into contact with the blood of an uninfected person (23). Approximately 25% of individuals spontaneously clear the virus after infection; however, the majority of individuals go on to develop …

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The use of electronic medical records to prompt HIV testing

-+*Download pdf Question What are the best practices to prompt HIV testing using electronic medical records in health care settings?  Key take-home messages Canada has met The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) goal of testing 90% of all people living with HIV; however, an estimated 6,950 people living with HIV remain undiagnosed (1, …

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Cost-effective strategies of testing for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

-+*Download pdf What are the best practices of cost-effective testing for HIV and bacterial STIs (chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis)?  Key take-home messages Rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and infectious syphilis have risen in Canada from 2015 to 2019 (1). An observed decrease in HIV cases has been detected recently, however a reduction in testing services …

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A review of supervised inhalation services in Canada

-+*Download pdf Questions What supervised inhalation services are available in Canada and what are their characteristics? What are the best practices that provide evidence supporting supervised inhalation services as a harm reduction approach?  Key take-home messages Reports from different Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta) indicate that more individuals overdose by inhaling opioids (including …

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