Projects
INSTI HIV Self-Test Study in Canada
Pewaseskwan was involved in the first Canadian study to evaluate HIV self-testing in Canada, using the INSTI HIV Self-Test device.
The INSTI HIV Self-Test was approved by Health Canada in November 2020. The INSTI HIV Self-Test device is widely accessible, convenient and provides additional testing options for key populations susceptible to HIV. It is available for purchase on the INSTI website.
The study included nearly 800 participants from key priority populations in Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Victoria before it was halted because of safety concerns stemming from COVID-19 outbreaks throughout Canada. Pewaseskwan worked with Saskatoon Sexual Health to conduct our portion of the study.
The study evaluated whether untrained participants can perform the self-test effectively and interpret their results accurately. The study provides strong indications that it is accurate, acceptable and easy to use by self-testers with diverse backgrounds, and it could be an important alternative to facility-based HIV testing for reaching the undiagnosed during pandemic control measures in Canada.
About 95 per cent of the participants indicated they would use the INSTI Self-Test again and also recommend its use to a sexual partner or friend.
The project team included highly experienced and qualified professionals from across Canada, led by Sean B. Rourke, a scientist at St. Michael’s Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute.
The study was jointly funded by The CIHR Centre for REACH 3.0 and the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR).
For more information, contact:
Kehinde Ametepee k.ametepee@usask.ca
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LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Most of our team lives and works on Treaty 6 territory and the Homeland of the Métis. The original peoples of these lands are the Cree, Saulteaux, Dene, Dakota, Lakota, Nakota, and Métis. Others are based in Vancouver, on the unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples. We encourage everyone, wherever they are, to learn about the Indigenous people of the lands on which they live and work. We seek to become engaged allies together. In the spirit of truth and reconciliation, we respect the self-determination of First Nations, Métis and Inuit – in their cultures, languages and their pursuit of wellness.
© 2023 Pewaseskwan (the Indigenous Wellness Research Group) | Office of the Cameco Chair in Indigenous Health and Wellness, University of Saskatchewan.