“A lot of people expected that we didn’t need to offer STI testing because nobody was going anywhere and having sex. Less detection equates with more spread: With many STIs asymptomatic, more Canadians are unknowingly passing on infections. Public health authorities, sexual-health experts and AIDS advocates are sounding the alarm over rising rates of certain sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections throughout parts of Canada, after testing, treatment and prevention campaigns fell by the wayside during the pandemic. “Whether it’s a sexual health issue or another health issue, there are many things that have been really overshadowed by COVID-19,” Dr. “It’s a problem and we’re trying to address it,” said Jennifer Russell, Chief Medical Officer of Health for New Brunswick, which also saw more chlamydia cases this winter.
