Patrick O’byrne
Dados Biográficos
| ID | 933277 |
|---|---|
| NOME | Patrick O’byrne |
| PRENOMES | Patrick |
| SOBRENOME | O’byrne |
| ASSINATURA | O’BYRNE P |
| AFILIAÇÕES | University of Ottawa |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-0587-1409 |
| VERIFICADO | Sim |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 38 |
| TOTAL DE CITAÇÕES | 56 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 38 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMEIRO ANO DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2000 |
| ANO MAIS RECENTE DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2025 |
| ÍNDICE H | 5 |
Use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among men who have sex with men
HIV PrEP is over 99% effective in preventing HIV when medication adherence is high. Despite this, uptake and retention in PrEP care remains less than optimal. We investigated whether gbMSM with objective risk factors for HIV who were automatically offered PrEP would have higher uptake and retention in PrEP care. For this, gbMSM with clinical evidence of HIV risk received a reflexive offer for PrEP from a nurse. The number of offers, referral acce…
Safer supply programs
Discussions with participants highlighted the importance of understanding why medication diversion occurs. Important factors influencing medication diversion included the need for safety, compassion, meeting needs, survival, and coercion faced by people who use drugs. Ultimately, medication diversion can be best understood as a measure implemented by people who use drugs to protect and care for their underserved community
The evolving HIV epidemic in Ontario, Canada
These data show that HIV testing and prevention strategies should be targeted to (1) MSM with a history of syphilis, gonorrhea, or chlamydia; (2) heterosexual men and women with a history of hepatitis C; and (3) immigrants within the first 5 years of migration. To address the evolving epidemic, it will be necessary to employ targeted HIV screening and prevention measures
Self-tests for Covid-19
COVID-19 self-testing strategy (COVIDST) can rapidly identify symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals and their contacts, potentially reducing transmission. In this living systematic review, we evaluated the evidence for real-world COVIDST performance. Two independent reviewers searched six databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, World Health Organization database, Cochrane COVID-19 registry, Europe PMC) for the period Apr…
Real world outcomes of distributing Lucira Check-It® Covid self-tests in Ontario, Canada
While most participants who accessed this service were vaccinated against COVID and the majority of diagnoses were identified in participants who had symptoms of, or an exposure to, COVID, our program was able to appropriately link participants to recommended follow-up based on reported risks and results. These findings highlight the utility of online screening algorithms to provide health services, particularly for persons with historical barrie…
Targeted HIV Self-Testing Identifies Persons with Undiagnosed HIV and Active Engagement Links them to Care
Current international HIV testing guidelines recommend that HIV negative persons from HIV priority groups complete repeat screening every 3-6 months; local guidelines in our jurisdiction recommend that such retesting should occur every 3 months. Such an approach allows for timely HIV diagnosis and linkage to care - and aligns with the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets to have 95% of undiagnosed persons be aware of their HIV status. To meet these aims, new …
Criminal Code reform of HIV non-disclosure is urgently needed
First-time testers in the GetaKit study
When analyzing the data for Ontario, Canada, HIV rates continue to be highest among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM). Since HIV diagnosis is a key component of HIV care, self-testing has provided options for allowing this population to access care, resulting in a significant number of first-time testers. Between 1 April 2021 and 31 January 2022, 882 gbMSM participants ordered an HIV self-test through GetaKit. Of these, 27…
HIV self-testing
At the 16 th International AIDS Conference in Montreal, Canada's Federal Health Minister announced that the Government of Canada will invest $17 million to increase access to HIV testing, $8 million of which would be used to purchase and distribute HIV self-tests. While HIV testing, and subsequent diagnoses, is a critical first step to achieving the updated UNAIDS goals of 95-95-95, testing on its own does not guarantee linkage to treatment or pr…
Falling Short of Clinical Recommendations
Introduction Despite the high prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and incidence of associated anal cancer among men who have sex with men (MSM) and the recommendation that all MSM in Canada receive the HPV vaccine, uptake of the vaccine remains low. The objective of this study was to identify correlates of HPV vaccination among MSM to expose gaps and better inform vaccination strategies and policies. Methods Data were collected fro…
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in Ottawa
The number of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has grown since its approval in Canada. While there are sound clinical data on PrEP efficacy, there is less research describing outcomes in routine clinical practice. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 113 men attending our PrEP clinic. Participants completed a one-time survey and chart reviews were conducted. We found that men in our cl…
Understanding the Perspectives of Women Who Use Intravenous Drugs and are Experiencing Homelessness in an Urban Centre in Canada
Injection drug use has long been a topic of investigation, whether through a health or criminal justice lens. Whilst these bodies of literature offer important perspectives, missing from the extant literature is evidence, particularly involving women who use drugs, and more specifically evidence about the health beliefs of these women. To address this knowledge gap, we undertook an ethnographic study of homeless women in downtown Ottawa who injec…
At-home HIV self-testing during Covid
Our results show that HIV self-testing is a pandemic-friendly strategy to help ensure access to sexual health services among persons who are good candidates for HIV testing. It is unsurprising that no one tested positive for HIV thus far, given the 0.08% positivity rate for HIV testing in Ottawa. As such, we advocate for scale-up of HIV self-testing in Canada
Considerations for Research on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been explored in various sexual subgroups. While excellent, these analyses have primarily occurred from uniquely biologic, epidemiologic, or sociologic perspectives. Missing from these discussions has been in-depth presentations of the dynamics of STI transmission from all three viewpoints simultaneously. In this paper, I present information about STI transmission for each STI, including considerations …
Active-Offer Nurse-Led PrEP (PrEP-RN) Referrals
While pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective HIV prevention strategy, its uptake is limited. To address barriers, we piloted a nurse-led PrEP clinic in an STI clinic and had public health nurses refer patients during STI follow-up. We recorded the number of PrEP offers and declines and clinic uptake. We conducted a thematic analysis of patients' responses from nursing notes written at the time patients declined PrEP. From August 6, 2018 …
Active-offer PrEP for HIV prevention
Whereas public health efforts to prevent HIV transmission used to focus exclusively on HIV diagnosis and reductions in the practices that transmit HIV, they now include the provision of HIV medication to HIV-negative persons before potential contacts when transmission could occur; this is known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). To increase PrEP uptake, recent efforts have begun to include the provision of PrEP referrals by public health nurses …
Population Health and Social Governance
Critical theory is a paradigm that promotes viewpoints that are alternative and, at times, contrary to mainstream beliefs and dictates. In 2012, I adopted this perspective to review the role of ethnography and surmised that the data which arise from this research approach, which I described as an in-depth study of cultures, can be used to discipline and control these groups. In this edition of Qualitative Health Research, another author has criti…
The Costs of HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Care Delivery
HIV prevention has evolved to include the provision of HIV medications to HIV-negative persons. Known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), this intervention can reduce HIV acquisition by 96% when taken as prescribed. While previous reviews have established that PrEP is cost-effective, few have focused on the healthcare system delivery costs associated with PrEP. We undertake such a comparative analysis focusing on Ontario, Canada estimating the co…
A qualitative exploratory study of consensual non-monogamy
The role of public health units in the delivery of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
Overview of a gay men’s STI/HIV testing clinic in Ottawa
Nondisclosure prosecutions and population health outcomes
Nondisclosure prosecutions likely undermine HIV prevention efforts
Sexual practices and STI/HIV testing among gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with men in Ottawa, Canada
In 1998, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that prosecuting people for HIV-status nondisclosure would neither affect people’s willingness to undergo HIV testing, specifically, nor undermine HIV prevention, more generally. Since that time, limited research has explored this topic. This paper reports a survey of a convenience sample of 721 gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. The aim was to examine participants’ sexually transmitted …
Resisting Public Health Surveillance
To date, there has been little research published about public health surveillance and HIV testing/prevention. Accordingly, an exploratory project was undertaken, involving a detailed review of local public health law, and the distribution of surveys about self-reported STI testing/diagnosis, HIV testing practices, and sexual behaviours among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. A review of the public health law indicated that, in …
HIV criminal prosecutions and public health
A review of the extant literature from a public health perspective leads to the conclusion that HIV criminal laws undermine public health
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Mixing Methods
Although mixed- and multiple-method research designs are currently gaining momentum and popularity, it is essential that researchers undertake a critical analysis of the process of mixing 'mainstream' research designs with newer methods before commencing. In ethnography, not only are there multiple approaches to data collection, but each approach also spans the competing paradigms, thus making the term mainstream ambiguous because these mainstrea…
A qualitative exploratory study of consensual non-monogamy
Subjugated to the ‘apparatus of capture’
Population Health and Social Governance
Recently, health care workers (researchers, academics, policy writers, clinicians) have begun to view ethnography as an acceptable research methodology for informing public health work. This corresponds with a change in public health practice toward population health, wherein identifiable groups are examined to identify the group-level and contextual factors that affect their health statuses. Although population health-based methodological and ou…
Raw Sex as Limit Experience
Public Health STI/HIV Surveillance
While Michel Foucault asserted that the sovereign style of rule had disappeared, instead replaced by a disciplinary society (wherein individuals were trained/domesticated in a variety of social institutions), years later, Gilles Deleuze recounted how this social structure had again changed. Within this new system, which Deleuze labelled the society of control, social networks have become so densely intertwined that it no longer matters whether or…
Criminal Code reform of HIV non-disclosure is urgently needed
At-home HIV self-testing during Covid
Our results show that HIV self-testing is a pandemic-friendly strategy to help ensure access to sexual health services among persons who are good candidates for HIV testing. It is unsurprising that no one tested positive for HIV thus far, given the 0.08% positivity rate for HIV testing in Ottawa. As such, we advocate for scale-up of HIV self-testing in Canada
Overview of a gay men’s STI/HIV testing clinic in Ottawa
Criminal Law and Public Health Practice
Over the last few years, the number of people living with HIV who have been convicted for not disclosing their HIV status to sexual partners in Canada has been steadily increasing. Whilst these laws are criminal in nature, and not public health-based, it is important to examine their effect on public health HIV prevention efforts. To undertake such an analysis, the impact fraction model was used to structure and examine the extant literature abou…
Resisting Public Health Surveillance
To date, there has been little research published about public health surveillance and HIV testing/prevention. Accordingly, an exploratory project was undertaken, involving a detailed review of local public health law, and the distribution of surveys about self-reported STI testing/diagnosis, HIV testing practices, and sexual behaviours among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. A review of the public health law indicated that, in …
HIV criminal prosecutions and public health
A review of the extant literature from a public health perspective leads to the conclusion that HIV criminal laws undermine public health
Constructive Social Work
Recent years have witnessed increased international interest in the relevance of social theories associated with postmodernism, social constructionism and narrative approaches for social work. The central aim of this unique book is to demonstrate how such ideas can make a direct and positive contribution to social work practice. The innovative approach is affirmative and reflexive and emphasis is given to dialogue, process and plurality of knowle…
Raw Sex as Limit Experience
M3S Squad
Amidst fiscal constraint and burgeoning health care demands, an innovative response to sexually transmitted infections was piloted in Quebec (Canada). This response arose out of the relationship of man and machine and resulted in the creation of cyborgs as a communication medium for the dissemination of safer sex messaging. These cyborgs physically carried the prevention message to a traditionally ‘at-risk’ audience, engaged their attention, and …
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Mixing Methods
Although mixed- and multiple-method research designs are currently gaining momentum and popularity, it is essential that researchers undertake a critical analysis of the process of mixing 'mainstream' research designs with newer methods before commencing. In ethnography, not only are there multiple approaches to data collection, but each approach also spans the competing paradigms, thus making the term mainstream ambiguous because these mainstrea…
Evaluating crack pipe distribution in Canada
Patrick O’Byrnea* & Dave Holmesaa Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Understanding human sexual networks
Increases in sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV rates worldwide have prompted the dedication of research to identifying transmission co-factors, with one such co-factor being an individual's number of different sexual partners. Currently, the majority of STI/HIV transmission models are based on the assumptions that sexual networks have random distributions; whereas, in real-life, these assumptions have proven incorrect because group nor…
Understanding HIV Viral Load
Unprotected sex among men who have sex with men in Canada
In Canada, there have been recent increases in HIV infections among men who have sex with men (MSM), making HIV transmission among MSM a continuing public health concern. In this paper, we explore the rationales of MSM for the practice of unprotected sex in casual or anonymous encounters. We found that the men in our sample acknowledged their ‘transgressive’ behaviour, engaged in numerous harm-reduction strategies, and offered varied yet connecte…
Public Health STI/HIV Surveillance
While Michel Foucault asserted that the sovereign style of rule had disappeared, instead replaced by a disciplinary society (wherein individuals were trained/domesticated in a variety of social institutions), years later, Gilles Deleuze recounted how this social structure had again changed. Within this new system, which Deleuze labelled the society of control, social networks have become so densely intertwined that it no longer matters whether or…
Subjugated to the ‘apparatus of capture’
Desire, drug use and unsafe sex
Recently, there has been an increase in research dedicated to the topic of drug/alcohol use and unsafe sex among gay men. Findings of this work suggest that drug/alcohol use is particularly common within gay circuit parties (GCPs). More recently, this work has begun to suggest that further exploration is needed to understand the desires of gay men who use drugs and alcohol and who engage in unsafe sex. Based on the foregoing, an ethnographic stud…
Criminal Law and Public Health Practice
Over the last few years, the number of people living with HIV who have been convicted for not disclosing their HIV status to sexual partners in Canada has been steadily increasing. Whilst these laws are criminal in nature, and not public health-based, it is important to examine their effect on public health HIV prevention efforts. To undertake such an analysis, the impact fraction model was used to structure and examine the extant literature abou…
Population Health and Social Governance
Recently, health care workers (researchers, academics, policy writers, clinicians) have begun to view ethnography as an acceptable research methodology for informing public health work. This corresponds with a change in public health practice toward population health, wherein identifiable groups are examined to identify the group-level and contextual factors that affect their health statuses. Although population health-based methodological and ou…
Nondisclosure prosecutions and population health outcomes
Nondisclosure prosecutions likely undermine HIV prevention efforts
Sexual practices and STI/HIV testing among gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with men in Ottawa, Canada
In 1998, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that prosecuting people for HIV-status nondisclosure would neither affect people’s willingness to undergo HIV testing, specifically, nor undermine HIV prevention, more generally. Since that time, limited research has explored this topic. This paper reports a survey of a convenience sample of 721 gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. The aim was to examine participants’ sexually transmitted …
Resisting Public Health Surveillance
To date, there has been little research published about public health surveillance and HIV testing/prevention. Accordingly, an exploratory project was undertaken, involving a detailed review of local public health law, and the distribution of surveys about self-reported STI testing/diagnosis, HIV testing practices, and sexual behaviours among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. A review of the public health law indicated that, in …
HIV criminal prosecutions and public health
A review of the extant literature from a public health perspective leads to the conclusion that HIV criminal laws undermine public health
Overview of a gay men’s STI/HIV testing clinic in Ottawa
The role of public health units in the delivery of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
Active-Offer Nurse-Led PrEP (PrEP-RN) Referrals
While pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective HIV prevention strategy, its uptake is limited. To address barriers, we piloted a nurse-led PrEP clinic in an STI clinic and had public health nurses refer patients during STI follow-up. We recorded the number of PrEP offers and declines and clinic uptake. We conducted a thematic analysis of patients' responses from nursing notes written at the time patients declined PrEP. From August 6, 2018 …
Active-offer PrEP for HIV prevention
Whereas public health efforts to prevent HIV transmission used to focus exclusively on HIV diagnosis and reductions in the practices that transmit HIV, they now include the provision of HIV medication to HIV-negative persons before potential contacts when transmission could occur; this is known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). To increase PrEP uptake, recent efforts have begun to include the provision of PrEP referrals by public health nurses …
Population Health and Social Governance
Critical theory is a paradigm that promotes viewpoints that are alternative and, at times, contrary to mainstream beliefs and dictates. In 2012, I adopted this perspective to review the role of ethnography and surmised that the data which arise from this research approach, which I described as an in-depth study of cultures, can be used to discipline and control these groups. In this edition of Qualitative Health Research, another author has criti…
The Costs of HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Care Delivery
HIV prevention has evolved to include the provision of HIV medications to HIV-negative persons. Known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), this intervention can reduce HIV acquisition by 96% when taken as prescribed. While previous reviews have established that PrEP is cost-effective, few have focused on the healthcare system delivery costs associated with PrEP. We undertake such a comparative analysis focusing on Ontario, Canada estimating the co…
A qualitative exploratory study of consensual non-monogamy
Considerations for Research on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been explored in various sexual subgroups. While excellent, these analyses have primarily occurred from uniquely biologic, epidemiologic, or sociologic perspectives. Missing from these discussions has been in-depth presentations of the dynamics of STI transmission from all three viewpoints simultaneously. In this paper, I present information about STI transmission for each STI, including considerations …
Medicine (30 obras) · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk (22 obras) · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions (21 obras) · Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV (20 obras) · Psychology (19 obras) · Family medicine (18 obras) · Sociology (18 obras) · Men who have sex with men (16 obras) · Sex work and related issues (16 obras) · Public health (15 obras)