Publications

Do men who take more sexual risk actually perceive themselves as at risk of HIV? Baseline data from the Canadian Engage Cohort Study, which recruited sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men through respondent-driven sampling, addressed this among 1,961 HIV-negative participants. Higher-risk condomless anal sex with casual partners was associated with substantially greater odds of perceiving personal HIV risk. Optimism or skepticism about HIV treatment shifted that relationship: among men reporting higher-risk sex, greater treatment optimism corresponded with higher perceived risk. The authors emphasize promoting accurate awareness of advances in HIV prevention and treatment.

Intimate partner violence among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men has rarely been tracked over time. Using the Engage Cohort Study, which recruited participants in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver through respondent-driven sampling, researchers examined physical or sexual violence both experienced and perpetrated between 2017 and 2022. Among 1,455 partnered men with follow-up, roughly a third reported lifetime experience of such violence, and experience during follow-up was more common than perpetration. Prior violence, lower education and substance use were linked to higher risk. Rates stayed stable over time, including during COVID-19 restrictions, pointing interventions toward underlying marginalization.

Recognition of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other sexual and gender minority (2S/LGBTQ+) health equity is growing, yet the harder work remains undone. This commentary, closing a themed issue, argues that research, policy and practice still rarely engage the structural drivers behind poor health in these populations, and that intersectionality shapes how those drivers land on different communities. The authors point to persistent gaps in interventions that tackle those root causes rather than individual behaviour. They stress the urgency of doing so as structural threats to 2S/LGBTQ+ well-being intensify in Canada and other geopolitical contexts.

Coping skills shape whether concussion symptoms drag on, which motivated this open-label mixed-methods pilot of a mindfulness-based smartphone app for young people. Ten participants aged 12 to 18 took part, recruited either within 48 hours of a concussion in an emergency department or at least a month afterwards from a tertiary care clinic, and used the four-week program 10 to 15 minutes daily. Ratings for credibility, usability, satisfaction, and working alliance with the digital mindfulness guides were favourable. Interviews surfaced positive and negative attributes, suggested modifications, and technical issues. A randomized controlled trial will now test effectiveness.

Health disparities affecting Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other sexual and gender minority populations remain profound, and the political climate is growing more volatile. This article sets out five priority issues and the policy responses each demands: poverty in 2S/LGBTQ+ communities; Two-Spirit mental health; health equity for migrant and racialized LGBTQ+ people; the difficulty of enforcing conversion therapy bans; and the shifting context of gender-affirming care. The authors argue that multi-level policy action, including in health-adjacent areas such as housing and immigration, is essential, and they challenge health policy actors across Canada to recognize structural barriers and act urgently.