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"Seek and destroy": Dr. Todd Hatchette on stopping the spread of STIs in Nova Scotia

Posted by Pathology on August 16, 2024 in News
Dr. Todd Hatchette, Professor of Pathology at Dalhousie, is the clinical director of Halifax's STI clinic
Dr. Todd Hatchette, Professor of Pathology at Dalhousie, is the clinical director of Halifax's STI clinic

Dalhousie Professor of Pathology Dr. Todd Hatchette welcomes the Province of Nova Scotia's decision to provide free at-home STI tests.

Dr. Hatchette, Nova Scotia's only Medical Virologist, notes that there has been an increase in gonorrhea, chalmydia and syphilis in recent years, and many people may not know they're infected.

"[G]etting tested and treated is the way to stop the spread," Dr. Hatchette tells CBC News. By making it easier to get tested, a major hurdle can be overcome. Specimens which the user collects are sent to a lab, and any positive tests are followed up by an appointment made with a medical professional.

More about the program can be found online at CBC News.