HIM is a nonprofit society that aims to strengthen the health and well-being in communities of self-identified GBQ men and gender diverse people in BC.
Testing
If you have been monitoring for symptoms and suspect you have mpox, or if you have been in contact with someone with mpox, seek a health care provider for testing.
We recognize that not everyone has a family doctor or primary care provider. In British Columbia, places you might look for testing are Primary Care or Urgent Primary Care Centres (UPCCs), STI Testing and Treatment Clinics, and youth clinics if under age 25. In more rural locations where access to these types of services may be limited we recommend a walk-in clinic or your nearest emergency room.
For help navigating the healthcare system in BC, please call 236-688-4153 to speak to a HIM staff or volunteer. Online you can go to SmartSexResource Clinic Finder and choose mpox testing in service menu for a provincial list of STI testing clinics.
It is possible the spaces mentioned above have implemented standard operating procedure regarding mpox testing and treatment. If your provider is unfamiliar with mpox, or considerations around testing and treatment, you can hand them HIM’s What’s Up Doc? document.
What Does Testing for Mpox Entail?
Right now, testing is only being done for those who have symptoms that may be due to mpox,
Testing looks a little different from place to place, swabbing a pox mark is the preferred method of testing. Places like emergency rooms may do everything from a blood draw to multiple swabs or a urine test, an STI clinic or primary care may only swab a few pox marks. Wait time for results will vary depending on where you accessed testing in the province; all tests are shipped to the BC Centre for Disease Control where they are analyzed within 48 hours of arrival.