After years of advocacy, Health Canada is expected to approve the first HIV self-test in the country. As testing is the critical first step in HIV prevention, treatment, and care cascade, HIV self-testing will be an additional tool in our tool-box to reach GBTQ2+ men who experience vulnerabilities for HIV as well as the undiagnosed.
Important questions need to be asked including how the Community-Based Research Centre and BC’s network of organizations dedicated to the health of GBT2Q+ populations and HIV/STBBI can work together to communicate key messages to GBTQ2+ men, what resources are needed to ensure we’re reaching individuals who experience barriers to testing, and where there are opportunities for innovation in our work.