Justice committee  It is definitely possible. We have all the knowledge and the means to make it happen.

Justice committee  Yes, the tests are highly accurate and easily applied. They can be done by either a blood prick or a saliva test. They're very accessible, low cost and demonstrated to be highly effective around the world.

Justice committee  I'm very pleased to hear that you're interested in the matter. The national working group would be delighted to work with you in any capacity to enhance the access to self-testing in Canada. As I mentioned, we're working with a number of providers. In fact, one of the leading self-testing kits is produced by a Canadian company that curiously cannot be sold in Canada, because we do not yet have regulatory approval to do so.

Justice committee  Yes. As you point out the regulatory matter is federal, so that's squarely within federal jurisdiction. We're actively working with the federal regulatory authorities to expedite this process. I think there's also a federal role in the broader policy around ending the HIV epidemic within the next five years.

Justice committee  My own sense is that an explicit provision in the Criminal Code does raise some concerns in that having an HIV-specific offence might also enhance the stigma around HIV, which is my major concern. At the same time, it's important that the current Criminal Code be applied in a way that does not lead to unwarranted prosecution and conviction.

Justice committee  That's a great question. It's widely available in the United States, in Europe and in many developing countries in the world. Canada has been very slow to implement this. It would require regulatory approval by the federal agency, which is under way right now. Certainly, this is a part of our report, and we've been actively advocating for it.

Justice committee  Okay. Thank you very much. Members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. The issue of criminalization of non-disclosure of HIV is a serious one, and I'm pleased that the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights is studying the matter.

Justice committee  Thank you.