Rapid Responses

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Free HIV self-testing: Best practices, positivity rates, and associated costs

-+*Download pdf Questions What are the different approaches to providing free HIV self-testing to reach different groups of population? What are the program costs associated with providing free HIV self-testing? What are the positivity rates for HIV self-testing?  Key take-home messages HIV self-testing is highly acceptable but could be cost prohibitive, especially for individuals at …

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Interventions to reduce social isolation and loneliness among men who have sex with men

-+*Download pdf Questions  What interventions have been helpful to reduce social isolation and loneliness among men who have sex with men?  Key take-home messages Social isolation and loneliness are significantly associated with all-cause mortality in the general population (1). A recent study among gay and bisexual men who have sex with men in Vancouver found …

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Possible benefits of providing safe supply of substances to people who use drugs during public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic

-+*Download pdf Questions What are possible benefits of providing a safe supply of substances to people who use drugs during public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic?  Key take-home messages Safe supply is an approach that focuses on saving lives by prescribing pharmaceutical grade substances such as opioids and stimulants to individuals at risk …

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Cost-effectiveness of rapid point-of-care testing (POCT) programs for HIV

-+*Download pdf Questions What evidence exists regarding the cost-effectiveness of rapid point-of-care testing (POCT) programs for HIV? How is the cost-effectiveness of these programs determined?  Key take-home messages Studies suggest that rapid HIV tests can be cost-effective in high-income settings under various scenarios (1–5). Criteria to examine the cost-effectiveness of rapid tests for HIV include …

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The use of comic books, graphic novels, and fotonovelas as a health promotion tool

-+*Download pdf Question What evidence exists for the use of comic books, graphic novels, and fotonovelas as health promotion tools (including HIV and STIs)?  Key take-home messages Comics — including graphic novels, comic books, and fotonovelas — are one way to learn and teach about illness (1) as the reader can relate words and images to personal experience …

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The risk of HIV among women after acquiring a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and considerations for their use of PrEP

-+*td {vertical-align:top !important; padding: 20px !important;} Download pdf Questions What is the current evidence among women in high-income countries regarding HIV risk after acquiring a sexually transmitted infection (STI)? What does the evidence state regarding the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV among women who have acquired an STI?  Key take-home messages A …

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HIV self-testing in high-income settings: Acceptability, potential benefits and harms, issues related to linkage to care, interventions to increase HIV self-testing

-+*Download pdf Questions What is the current evidence in high-income settings on HIV self-testing related to acceptability, potential benefits and harms, issues related to the linkage to care after a positive test, and interventions to increase HIV self-testing?  Key take-home messages HIV self-testing has the potential to increase rates of HIV testing and is acceptable …

HIV self-testing in high-income settings: Acceptability, potential benefits and harms, issues related to linkage to care, interventions to increase HIV self-testing Read More »

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Burnout among service providers addressing substance use disorders

-+*Download pdf Questions What are the sources and consequences of burnout among service providers addressing substance use disorders? What interventions have been implemented to manage the impact of burnout among service providers addressing substance use disorders?  Key take-home messages Main burnout components experienced among service providers addressing substance use disorders include emotional exhaustion (feeling drained …

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Unmet needs of Indigenous peoples living with HIV

-+*Download pdf Questions What are the unmet needs of Indigenous peoples living with HIV? What interventions, strategies, and programs have been used to address these needs?  Key take-home messages In 2016, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples accounted for 4.9% of the Canadian population but represented 11.3% of all new HIV infections (1). When considering …

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The risk of coercion in the context of HIV self-testing

-+*Download pdf Questions What evidence is available on risk of coercion in the context of HIV self-testing?  Key take-home messages While studies to date indicate that there are many benefits of HIV self-testing (also known as home-testing) and the risk of harm through coerced self-testing is minimal, the risk of coercion still exists (1). HIV …

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