Human immunodeficiency virus & acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an antiretroviral pill you take once a day or on-demand to help prevent you from getting HIV if you are exposed. Most people tolerate the medicines well. If you would like PrEP please find a clinic using SmartSexResource.

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is an antiretroviral pill you take up to 72-hours after being exposed to HIV. This could include unprotected sex or sharing needles with someone who is HIV positive. A full course of PEP is 28 days long and includes monitoring bloodwork at two and four weeks. A five-day PEP starter kit is available at every emergency room in British Columbia. A list of Vancouver clinics offering PEP can be found here.

The medication to treat HIV is daily oral antiviral pills (ARV). These are free for all eligible patients in B.C.

ARVs keep HIV from reproducing inside your body. They have minimal side effects that usually subside within the first few weeks.

If you receive an ARV prescription, you can pick up your medication at the St. Paul’s Hospital Ambulatory Pharmacy.

When you take ARVs, you need to take blood tests to track how much HIV is in your body. This is also known as your viral count. If your viral count stays low for long enough, you cannot pass HIV onto partners.

HIV Factsheet: Undetectable = Untransmittable

If you are HIV positive and become pregnant, you should talk to a health care provider right away. Without treatment, you can transmit HIV to your baby during pregnancy, delivery or while breastfeeding.

Your health care provider will prescribe ARV medication to take during your pregnancy. They will also prescribe medicine for your baby during the first few weeks after birth. If you and your baby take these medications as prescribed, your risk of transmitting HIV is less than one per cent.

If you are HIV positive and have an HIV-related disorder that requires hospital care, you may be admitted to the Urban Health inpatient unit at St. Paul’s Hospital.

Need to find an HIV treatment provider in B.C.? Check out the BC-CfE Drug Treatment Program.

Our clinical dietitians work with healthcare teams to give practical nutrition advice and education to patients and residents. They focus on your individual needs as well as involving your family in your nutritional health.

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To help with communicating with your health care team, we offer interpretation services 24-hours-a-day. Please ask your care team to place a request if you need an interpreter including a sign language interpreter.

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Pharmacists at Providence assist those staying in our two hospitals (inpatients) and those visiting our many clinics (outpatients). We collaborate with your healthcare team, using our knowledge to recommend the most suitable drug treatment for your condition. We also keep watch for possible negative reactions to medications, aiming to find the right balance between safety and effectiveness.

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Our psychology services can provide emotional support to our patients who may need help coping with their condition and its treatment.

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Our social work team helps patients and their families by providing emotional support and connecting them to helpful resources and services. This team can also assist in planning for the future, advocate for patients' needs, and help with practical concerns like finances and social support.

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We offer pastoral care services to support you and your loved ones. Our professional staff, including chaplains from different faiths, are here to accompany you, provide counseling, and create spaces for reflection, prayer, and meditation. 

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We strive to offer you the best and most compassionate care possible. If we succeed, please let us know. If we fall short of our goal “How you want to be treated,” please also let us know. 

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Enjoy food, games and conversation with fellow John Ruedy Clinic (JRC) members facilitated by a peer navigator. Every 2nd Friday 1:00 PM PM. Ask the peer navigator for a schedule.

A group for folks struggling with stimulant use: crack, cocaine, crystal meth, speed. Offered every Monday 2 - p.m.. Contact a JRC social worker for more information.

The dietician and social worker offer a monthly Community Kitchen on Tuesdays. Participants decide on the themes and share in cooking a healthy, balanced meal on a budget. All cooking skills and abilities are welcome and all supplies are provided. For more information, contact a JRC dietitian or social worker.

A voice mail service (operated through Lu’ma Native Health Society) is available for JRC patients. Individuals are given a unique phone number for a secure and confidential voice mail which they can access from any phone. For more information, see a social worker or peer navigator.

In an effort to help address food insecurity issues, the JRC offers support for immediate nutrition needs and helps individuals identify longer term solutions.

A group for women (cis or trans), non-binary, and two-spirited folks. Led by a peer navigator and a nurse. This is a space to make crafts, eat snacks, learn about health topics, and have fun.

The CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network (CTN) is a Canada-wide partnership of researchers, people living with HIV and their caregivers, governments, health advocates, and the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

The network is committed to generating knowledge on the prevention, treatment and management of HIV, hepatitis C and other sexually transmitted and blood-born infections.

The network is also working to develop a cure for HIV through conducting scientifically sound trials, research and other interventions.

The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) is Canada’s largest HIV/AIDS research facility.

The centre is internationally recognized for pioneering important initiatives such as therapeutic guidelines for treating HIV and early use of double or triple drug combination regimes.

Research at the BC-CfE is affiliated with the University of British Columbia (UBC).