As of Dec.1, World AIDS Day, confidential HIV, hepatitis C and syphilis testing will be available at some community pharmacy locations in Halifax for a year, as part of a research study.
The APPROACH study (Adaptation of Point of care testing for Pharmacies to Reduce risk and Optimize Access to Care in HIV, HCV, and syphilis) encourages people to know their HIV, hepatitis C, and syphilis status. In this research project, people will be able to access confidential testing for HIV, hepatitis C, and syphilis in participating pharmacies throughout Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Alberta over a one-year period.
Dr. Tasha Ramsey, APPROACH provincial lead for Nova Scotia and NS Health Emerging and Re-Emerging Infections Clinical Therapeutics and Prophylactics lead, said these three infectious diseases are certainly present in the community.
Dr. Tasha Ramsey is the APPROACH Provincial Lead for Nova Scotia and NS Health Emerging and Re-Emerging Infections Clinical Therapeutics and Prophylactics Lead. Photo contributed.
"We know for HIV, in particular, about 10 per cent of people in Canada that have it don't know their status. So they don't know that they have the infection and don't get treatment and may spread it to others. With hepatitis C, we know that about 40 per cent of people don't know their status. And with syphilis, we certainly still see a lot of outbreaks occurring across the country," said Ramsey.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body's immune system. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Hepatitis C is a viral infection that causes liver inflammation and spreads through contaminated blood, and syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can cause serious health problems without treatment.
"Hepatitis C and syphilis are curable. So if you know your status, we can get you on treatment, and they'll go away. With HIV, that one cannot be cured. But there are wonderful treatments out there that you go on for the rest of your life and being on them, you have the same life expectancy as anyone else that doesn't have HIV," said Ramsey.
Ramsey said this study is important as Nova Scotia has reported an increase of HIV cases happening.
"Normally, in a year here in Nova Scotia, we have 15 to 20 new cases of HIV diagnosed, but this year as of August 30, we had 20 to 25 cases reported into public health," added Ramsey.
With the increase in cases, the APPROACH study provides an alternative and confidential method to get tested and learn results only after a few minutes.
The study will take place for a year to encourage individuals to get tested and learn the status on these three infections, without having to be worried about needles.
"You may be thinking, is it going to be like typical bloodwork that's done through the vein- It's not. All of our tests involve just picking the finger and getting a drop of blood. For HIV and hepatitis C, we can take that drop of blood and use it in a point-of-care test and know your status right away, the HIV one takes a few minutes to work and the hepatitis C one takes 20 minutes," explained Ramsey.
The selected pharmacies will also be offering dry blood spot testing, which involves pricking the finger, and sending the piece of paper to a lab in Manitoba, and pharmacists can share results in about three weeks.
"So all the tests just involve a little finger prick. So if you've ever been kind of on the fence before or perhaps you know, traditional bloodwork hasn't been appealing. This could be a nice alternative."
In the Halifax area, Boyd's Pharmasave and Sentrex Pharmacy are two pharmacies offering testing options with the study. Testing will be by drop-in or appointment.
A full list of participating pharmacies, locations, and testing hours can be found here.
Listen to the full interview below: