Nova Scotia is rolling out a take-home kit to test for sexually transmitted infections in hopes of reducing barriers to vital sexual health care.
Dr. Todd Hatchette, an infectious disease specialist who is the clinical director for Halifax’s STI clinic, says the province is seeing an increase in rates of gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis, and the best line of attack is to make it easier for people to get tested.
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Hatchette says because many STIs do not present symptoms, the best way to address sexually transmitted illnesses is through a “seek and destroy” kind of approach.
That’s the idea behind a new program launched last month in the Halifax and Truro areas that involves an online form people can fill out to see if they qualify for a take-home STI test kit.
The physician says the test comes with instructions for collecting the specimen, which is sent back to a lab, and if a test is positive, an appointment is made with a medical professional.
Hatchette says a similar program exists in Ontario, but this is the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada.
Over the past three weeks, 277 test kits have been sent out, and health officials are working on expanding the program to the rest of the province.
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