Grant: Operating Grant

Receipt of regular health care is important for people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). From an individual health perspective, receiving regular care is important to ensure that antiretroviral treatment is started at the optimal time, in accordance with individual preferences, to maximize health. From a public health perspective, receipt of regular health care is important since antiretroviral therapy and safer sex messages are very effective in reducing the rate of HIV transmission. Nevertheless, several studies suggest that 30 to 50% of people living with HIV do not continue to receive regular care. Our study will be one of the first to determine on a population level how frequently people do not receive regular health care, to determine the characteristics of individuals who do not remain in care, and to determine, using health administrative databases, what happens to individuals who do not receive regular care. Our study has the potential to yield important findings for improving how health care is delivered to people living with HIV in Canada.