World Congress on STIs and HIV begins: 1,500 specialists expected at the Palais des congrès de Montréal

The World Congress on STIs and HIV begins Sunday and welcomes 1,500 specialists from around the world to the Palais des congrès de Montréal.

Several developments will be discussed through Wednesday, including home self-testing, artificial intelligence, and budget cuts under the Trump administration.

"There have been huge cuts, resulting in an incredible loss of resources. There's absolutely no one to take over. No one is getting paid, no one is coming in. [...] We're looking at food, laboratory supplies, which are very American," explains congress co-president ^Dr. Marc Steben in an interview with LCN.

These budget cuts have negative consequences for a large number of people living with HIV, which currently affects 25.6 million people worldwide.

In Quebec, 422 new cases of HIV were recorded in 2022, and cases of gonorrhea have tripled in the province over the past 10 years.