A Word from the President -Réjean Thomas

The Clinique médicale l’Actuel has updated our website and we welcome you to it with great enthusiasm and pride. We sincerely hope that you will appreciate the written and photographic content of these scientific pages, the links and graphic elements they contain, and above all, that the site will respond to your expectations in terms of providing medical, biological, psychological and social information about the main ailments associated with sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Our goal is to provide a concrete response to the needs expressed by the public and the site is addressed to everyone concerned or worried about STIs.

Why, you may ask, are STDs now called STIs? Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are now called sexually transmitted infections (STIs). There is an important reason behind this "name change". Typically we associate the term "disease" with detectable symptoms perceived by the person infected. The term "infection" is more accurate in that it includes infections that may or may not have perceived symptoms - "asymptomatic" infections. The asymptomatic infected state occurs quite commonly with many STIs. Unfortunately, many STIs may be transmitted without symptoms, and without the knowledge of their presence.

Asymptomatic sexually transmitted infections are in large part responsible for the current increase in the rates of infections as highlighted in our "news" section. In a concerted effort to address this reality, we have taken it upon ourselves to encourage sexually active individuals to "get tested" and "get treated". Unfortunately, what you don't know, can be transmitted when it comes to sexually transmitted infections.

In addition we have created specialty screening clinics, designed to speed up access to diagnostic testing for vulnerable populations and at-risk individuals (enquire). Discuss with your physician the frequency of testing appropriate for you.

When we were designing this tool, we wanted to make the knowledge and expertise developed over the years by our professionals available in a straightforward format. In fact, one of the fundamental principles of modern medicine is that of educating patients, so that they will better understand the nature of their infection, and consequently will be better able to care for, control or prevent disease. We also know that under the effects of surprise, shock or fear, some information and explanations are not absorbed. The site therefore provides an important complement to medical visits – as a reminder, or to assist in evaluating clinical symptoms. You will also find a short description of the services available and information to guide you when you consult a physician at the clinic.

I wish to highlight the invaluable support of the physicians who have worked alongside me since the foundation of the Clinique l’Annexe in 1984 – Drs. Michel Marchand, Sylvie Ratelle and Alain Campbell, as well as Drs. Suzanne Côté, Michel Marchand and Clément Olivier, in the foundation of the Clinique médicale l’Actuel in 1987. Over the years, thanks to the unflagging support of physicians passionate about their art, the Actuel, a pioneer in the development of knowledge about STDs and HIV/AIDS, has trained many healthcare professionals, who now work in various centres in Montréal and the surrounding regions, and even outside of Québec and Canada. Every year, over 30,000 medical consultations are provided by the clinic’s physicians, which, we believe, represents an important vote of confidence.

Faithful to our mission of offering high-quality healthcare in the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and management of people living with HIV/AIDS, we believe that this new tool will help us fulfill our mission and realize our objective of providing healthcare services par excellence to the community.

On behalf of the entire team, I wish you a good visit and we look forward to serving you.

Réjean Thomas
President