What’s new and important

  • The clinic will be closed Saturday 31 July and Monday 2 August for the civic long weekend. If you have an HIV appointment booked for Saturday 31 July, please call us to reschedule at 416 · 922 · 0566.
  • There has been an increase in hepatitis C infection among some HIV-positive gay and bisexual men. This has mainly been found in men who engage in certain BDSM activities where blood may be involved, including fisting and rough play.

    Hepatitis C, like other infections, can affect your health rapidly if you are living with HIV. Hepatitis C viral loads are higher in people who are also HIV-positive. If you have both HIV and hepatitis C, unprotected sex with others living with HIV not only leaves you open to the possibility of re-infection with different strains of HIV and sexually transmitted infections, but also leaves you vulnerable to higher levels of hepatitis C virus (should your partner be co-infected.)

    We encourage you to get tested for hepatitis C by your health care provider. You should also consider being vaccinated for hepatitis A and hepatitis B.
  • Given the increased volume of patients during Friday evening clinics (4 pm to 7 pm) symptomatic, follow-up and patients requiring treatment will be given priority. The Clinic may not be able to offer routine testing during these hours.
  • If you’re HIV-positive you may have a weakened immune system which can make you more likely to pick up syphilis. Symptoms of syphilis may be more severe, it may progress quickly to later stages, and it may take longer to treat and cure.

    Syphilis may increase your “viral load”, a measure of HIV in your blood. This can quicken the rate at which HIV damages your immune system. It also can make you more likely to transmit HIV to sexual partners.

    If you’re HIV positive and have syphilis, your syphilis can be more easily spread to sexual partners, as your immune system may be less able to control the amount of syphilis bacteria in the body.

    Doctors do not routinely test HIV positive people for syphilis. If you're HIV-positive you should specifically ask your doctor for a syphilis test.
  • Ontario to provide HIV tests that give results in just 60 seconds, more test sites. More…
  • Rapid HIV testing returns to Hassle Free Clinic. More…
  • A Spanish edition of the clinic’s STI Guide: Information for Men is now available: Guia de ETS: Informatión para Hombres.
  • Hassle Free needs physicians now! More…
  • Help support the clinic by making a donation by using our partner, CanadaHelps.org.
  • A partial chronology of the battles Hassle Free Clinic fought to do anonymous HIV testing has recently been uncovered! More…
  • The men/trans clinic now closes at 8 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday evenings.
  • This will make it easier for the staff, volunteers and clients as it will fix the cut-off time to 8 p.m. and allow us to serve the overspill in the hour we have left. The staff and volunteers will remain till the last client is served.
  • We have adopted these new hours so that we can make sure everyone who comes to the clinic before closing will be seen.
  • Syphilis appears to be on the rise in Toronto among men who have sex with men. More…
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