This past summer, the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority reported a 52% drop in HIV transmission since 2011, proving we’re using the right tools to drastically lower HIV rates – at least in Vancouver. Even though services like PrEP and HIV treatment are available across the province, much more still needs to be done to get these tools in the hands of other gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM), who continue to make up the majority of new HIV transmissions in BC.
In order to increase the use of sexual health tools among gbMSM around the province, Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) in partnership with Health Initiative for Men (HIM) have launched a new BC-wide combination prevention campaign. CheckYourself.Today provides information and resources for gbMSM to better engage with their sexual health and access a range of tools and services offered in British Columbia.
With so many different sexual health tools available, sometimes it can get confusing or overwhelming to decide which are the right ones for us.
CheckYourself.Today provides gbMSM with a helpful list of sexual health tools currently available in BC, as well as accurate and up-to-date information regarding each tool. Whether you’re looking for condoms, testing, HPV and Hep A and B Vaccines, pap tests, HIV meds, PrEP or PEP – CheckYourself.Today has got you covered!
The website also includes a map of over 70 sexual health clinics across BC, which users can filter based on the availability of the tools you’re looking to access! For those looking to get onto PrEP, CheckYourself.Today also hosts the first online directory of clinics in BC that offer PrEP referrals, or can prescribe PrEP directly.
Since the launch of BC’s PrEP program in 2018, which made the HIV prevention drug free and widely accessible to gbMSM, there have been over 4000 clients prescribed PrEP in the province, but mostly in Vancouver. And with over 40% of PrEP users in Vancouver getting it through HIM health centres, there are many other clinics and providers who aren’t being utilized.
Between PrEP, condoms, testing, and HIV treatment, which lowers the viral load in HIV-positive people to undetectable levels and eliminates the risk of passing it on, we’ve got the tools to reduce infections and improve our sexual health.
For gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and other men who have sex with men in BC – CHECKYOURSELF.TODAY is Your List for Sexual Health.
