
By Hannah Branch & Sofia Bartlett SEPTEMBER 26, 2022, CATIE Blog People who have experienced incarceration are disproportionately affected by sexually transmittedRead more
People with lived/living experience of incarceration (PWLLE-I) are at higher risk for Sexually Transmitted & Blood Borne Infections (STBBIs) than the general public for several reasons (see STBBIs education for health care workers).
The purpose of the You Matter Pathways to STBBI care project is to improve STBBI testing and linkage to care for PWLLE-I specifically in correctional facilities in British Columbia.
Currently, there are no publicly available policies and guidelines for universal testing and linkage to care for STBBIs in any provincial correctional centres in Canada. In fact, in-depth guidance on how to provide STBBI testing and linkage to care in correctional settings is lacking globally. Although STBBI screening is available on request in correctional centres across Canada, without accepted best practices for universal STBBI testing and linkage to care, there is inconsistent implementation of pre- and post-test STBBI counselling in corrections, and STBBI tests during reception at corrections are not universally or even routinely offered in many facilities, resulting in poor linkage to care for STBBIs among people with lived/living experience of incarceration (PWLLE-I). There are also many gaps in linkage to STBBI care after release from corrections, due to a lack of guidance on accepted best practices and standards.
The development of foundational policies and guidelines for universal STBBI testing and linkage to care in corrections and after release is necessary to create accountability frameworks, streamline care pathways, reduce the occurrence of unintended harms, and increase the likelihood that PWLLE-I will have positive experiences when engaging in healthcare. If developed with input from healthcare workers, corrections staff, and PWLLE-I, such policies and guidelines have the potential to catalyze system changes in how health care services are provided in correctional institutions.
Adherence to policies and guidelines for universal STBBI testing and linkage to care at reception could:
The You Matter Pathways to STBBI Care project is funded through the Public Health Agency of Canada …
We recently received funding for the Test, Link, Call (TLC) Project which will be launched in Fall 2021 …
The “Addressing COVID-19 Vaccine concerns among people who are incarcerated” (ADVANCE) study involves COVID-19 vaccine research …
The focus of the educational resources and tools in this website are to address gaps in what is available to provide education specifically for people who are incarcerated or staff working in these settings. Check out some of the resources created listed by health area below:
The Guidelines and Tools pages include links to current STBBI-related guidelines, templates, tools and other resources to support engagement with people affected by or at risk of STBBIs.
The News & Stories page include blogs written by team members, news, project updates and past and upcoming events.
By Hannah Branch & Sofia Bartlett SEPTEMBER 26, 2022, CATIE Blog People who have experienced incarceration are disproportionately affected by sexually transmittedRead more
By Hannah Branch July 28 is World Hepatitis Day. This year’s campaign theme is ‘I can’t wait,’ highlighting the need to accelerateRead more
“The beginning of the pandemic was really challenging for everyone, including people in corrections,” says Pam Young, manager with Unlocking the GatesRead more
By Sofia Bartlett Megaphone magazine ran an article in their September 2022 issue on Test Link Call (TLC) Project. Check the articleRead more