HIV tests soon to be offered at hospital

Patients can expect to be offered an HIV test when receiving blood work.

Vernon Jubilee Hospital’s emergency department will soon offer an HIV test routinely.

“Early diagnosis and treatment can reduce the number of new HIV infections in our region,” said Dr. Trevor Corneil, chief medical health officer.

“Treatments available today can suppress HIV to undetectable levels and that greatly reduces the likelihood of transmitting the virus to others.”

The expanded testing is a part of the provincial Seek and Treat for Optimal Prevention of HIV/AIDS (STOP HIV/AIDS) program, which aims to reduce HIV transmission and improve the health outcomes of those living with HIV by offering widespread HIV testing, treatment, and early engagement into care.

Maja Karlsson, STOP HIV implementation leader, believes routinely offering an HIV test will reduce stigma and reach people with no obvious risk factors, who would normally fall through the cracks.

“Anyone who has ever been sexually active is at some risk of HIV. A large portion of newly diagnosed patients don’t identify as ever belonging to one of the traditional high prevalence populations. Getting tested for HIV provides reassurance for those who test negative; and for those who test positive it provides an opportunity to access life-saving treatment,” said Karlsson.

In the Interior Health region, 65 per cent of people diagnosed with HIV are diagnosed long after becoming infected. As a result, their immune systems can already be quite damaged, making full recovery more difficult.

Scroll to Top

During the Canada Post strike announced September 25, 2025, the following measures will be undertaken to minimize service disruption to BC-CfE clients and providers.

  • The BC-CfE Laboratory has transitioned to private courier for delivery of outgoing reports and documents. Results required urgently can be faxed upon request. (Lab Contact Information: Phone 604-806-8775; FAX 604-806-9463)
  • The BC-CfE Drug Treatment Program (DTP) will fax outgoing forms and documents to the provider’s office. (DTP Contact Information: Phone 604-806-8515; FAX 604-806-9044)
  • St. Paul’s Hospital Ambulatory Pharmacy has transitioned to private courier for delivery of medications. We recommend requesting medication at least 2 weeks in advance in case of delivery delays, particularly to rural/remote parts of BC. (Contact Information: Phone 1-800-547-3622; FAX 604-806-8675)

During the Canada Post strike, we recommend that documents be faxed or couriered to our sites, versus utilization of regular mail service

The BC-CfE Laboratory is streamlining reporting processes for certain tests in order to simplify distribution and record-keeping, and to ensure completeness of results. Beginning September 2, 2025, results for the ‘Resistance Analysis of HIV-1 Protease and Reverse Transcriptase’ (Protease-RT) and ‘HIV-1 Integrase Resistance Genotype’ tests will be combined into a single ‘HIV-1 Resistance Genotype Report’.
For more details and example reports, please click on the button below