Grant: Cat. Gr.: STBBI Res.: Beyond HIV/AIDS/Hep. C- STBBI other than HIV/hep. C (gen.)

People who inject drugs (PWID) are a key population for research on STBBIs. However, only HIV and hepatitis C virus have been well-studied in PWID. Two key neglected STBBIs in PWID are syphilis and hepatitis B virus (HBV). There are almost no data on the prevalence of these infections in PWID, nor on HBV vaccination rates. This project will collect data to measure the prevalence of lifetime and recent syphilis infection, as well as current and past HBV infection, and susceptibility to HBV infection (i.e. need for HBV vaccination). In addition, this project will explore opportunities to improve diagnosis of STBBIs in PWID through advances in point-of-care testing technology. Point-of-care testing can be conducted outside of traditional medical settings, and has the potential to revolutionise STBBI diagnosis and care in PWID. However, it is essential to understand the perspectives of PWID in relation to point-of-care testing. Therefore, this project will also include an assessment of the acceptability of point-of-care testing for syphilis and HBV, and HBV vaccination, in low-threshold harm reduction venues, from the perspective of PWID. Data for this study will be collected via the long-standing HEPCO study, which is an open community cohort of PWID living in Montreal. Findings will inform the development of responses to syphilis and HBV in PWID and the development of applied research projects aiming to develop an integrated model of care for STBBIs in PWID.