The  factsheet  is for front-line, outreach, and public health staff, and others providing sexual health care and the communities of gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM).

In Canada, gbMSM are one of the priority populations listed in  The Ontario Hepatitis C Elimination Roadmap. The factsheet explains, what is hepatitis C (HCV), what factors increase HCV risk, substance use/Party and Play with different substances can increase risk of HCV infection, symptoms of HCV, testing for HCV, monitoring liver health, treatment  and sexual health  for gbMSM, infection prevention -before, after and during  sex, HCV and stigma, and sex positive care.

HCV is a liver disease caused by the hep C virus (HCV). If left untreated over several years, HCV kills and scars most of the liver—a condition called cirrhosis—and may also result in a form of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). gbMSM have relatively high rates of HCV infection and re-infection. As of 2023, 1 in 25 gbMSM in Canada had been infected with HCV in their lifetime.

The factsheet is accompanied with two postcards  for community members. One postcard includes basic facts about hepatitis C risk factors, encouraging testing, and include QR codes. The second postcard on substance use and sex, can be displayed in places where harm reduction info is displayed (like supervised consumption sites or health orgs), or places where men meet to have sex (like bathhouses or play parties). There are two posters  for health care practitioners and community workers to have as a reminder on facts about hepatitis C and linkage to their gbMSM population. The QR codes link back to the more in-depth factsheet with sources to relevant data and research.

All resources available online at, GMSH.CA