* This presentation was originally recorded in English. Closed captioning is available in both English and French.
Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) disproportionately face barriers navigating health care services, including testing for sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections (STBBI). Health care disruptions and testing site closures during the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated disparities in access to STBBI testing for GBMSM in Ontario. Using quantitative data from the 2019 Sex Now survey, and qualitative data from interviews with GBMSM who accessed testing services, and with STBBI testing providers in Ontario, we will discuss barriers to STBBI testing experienced by GBMSM before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we will address testing innovations developed during the COVID-19 pandemic that helped alleviate barriers to testing for GBMSM.
Participants:
Mackenzie Stewart (Dalla Lana School of Public Health), Abdi Hassan (Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work), Ezra Blaque (Dalla Lana School of Public Health), Heeho Ryu (Dalla Lana School of Public Health), Joshun Dulai (Dalla Lana School of Public Health). Moderator: Ryan Lisk (ACT)
