B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Grindr, the popular LGBTQ2S+ dating app, is partnering with a program distributing free at-home HIV tests as part of a new public health initiative in the U.S.
Now, within the app's main menu, U.S.-based users will see a new "Free HIV Home Test" button. People who order will receive an OraQuick kit: an FDA-approved, over-the-counter test that works by swabbing the gums. The test shows results within 20 minutes.
The public health initiative distributing these free tests is called "Together TakeMeHome," a new partnership comprising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emory University and Building Healthy Online Communities, a consortium of public health programs and gay dating apps.
Grindr explained in a blog post that access to HIV testing is "one of the biggest limitations in the fight against the persistent HIV epidemic." HIV continues to affect the gay, bi and trans community more than many other groups.
So far, the Together TakeMeHome program has given away 125,000 HIV test kits, Grindr said in its blog post, adding that one-third of those kits were sent to people taking a test for the first time, "showing the power and innovation that comes from bringing these partners together." The aim is to give away 1 million kits over the next five years and Grindr hopes to expand the program to other countries.
The program received more than 10,000 orders in its first day, according to Emory University.
A 2019 CDC report found that fewer than 40% of people in the United States have been screened for HIV. It recommends that all people 13 to 64 be tested at least once. For those who have tested positive for HIV, the CDC recommends seeking immediate treatment with a number of medicines now available.
Grindr, which has about 12 million monthly active users, became a publicly traded company in 2022. Shares are up about 30% for the year.
A previous version of this article incorrectly described some elements of Grindr's program. The app is partnering with Together TakeMeHome, which is distributing the test kits. Through that partnership, the program received more than 10,000 orders in its first day.
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.