As a result of the most recent mandates by the federal and provincial governments and in the interest of protecting the health of our participants and our research staff, the Engage Study is temporarily suspending study visits. We will resume as soon as we believe we can do so safely - stay tuned for updates as this situation develops and changes. In the meantime, please stay home, wash your hands, and stay safe.
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What is Engage?
Engage is a cohort study that relies on social networks to recruit participants - after guys join the study, they are asked to invite people from their networks to participate too.
Participation will involve testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and taking a survey to help us understand what influences the sexual health of gay, bi, and queer men, including trans men, and other men who have sex with men. Over the next four years, Engage will conduct research studies in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver to help us understand how new knowledge and options for testing, treatment and prevention are changing the face of HIV.
Inequality continues to create conditions where some people are more at risk for HIV transmission than others.
New options to prevent HIV transmission, such as PEP and PrEP, are changing the way we think about safer sex.
HIV testing is becoming easier, faster, and able to detect HIV infection sooner.
A new generation of young gay, bi, queer and other men who have sex with men are growing up with no experience/memory of the AIDS crisis.
People diagnosed with HIV today have about the same life expectancy as people who are HIV negative.
Early HIV treatment has been shown to improve health outcomes and significantly lower chances of HIV transmission.
Statistics Canada estimates that 79% of all gay and bisexual men in Canada live in British Columbia, Ontario and Québec.
In 2011 the Public Health Agency of Canada estimated the proportion of gay, bi, queer and other men who have sex with men living with HIV to be 18% in Vancouver, 23% in Toronto, 13% in Montreal. About 18% of HIV-positive gay, bi, queer and other men who have sex with men don't know their status.
Do you already have a voucher to participate? Want to find out more about how to get involved? Choose a study site near you to find out more about how you can get involved.