ARGUS

What is ARGUS ?

The ARGUS survey is focused on the health of men who have sex with men (MSM); more specifically, the survey is centred on infections that are transmitted sexually and by blood (STIs, e.g. the AIDS virus, hepatitis viruses, syphilis). The survey will help us understand the true extent of the AIDS epidemic and epidemics of other STIs among MSM.

ARGUS is part of a larger project involving several Canadian cities; Montréal is the first city where the survey is being conducted. The survey will be repeated every two years so that changes in STIs trends and their associated behaviours are followed.

The survey is conducted by the Direction de Santé Publique de Montréal and the Institut national de santé publique du Québec, in collaboration with the new Public Health Agency of Canada. Several community, commercial and university partners are also involved in the project. In addition, ARGUS benefits from the experience of researchers from the Omega Cohort. Until recently, the Omega Cohort, a study of the incidence and psychosocial determinants of HIV infection among gay and bisexual men in Montréal, provided important data on HIV (a number of gay and bisexual men in Montreal participated in this study). The Cohort ended during the summer of 2003 and ARGUS is now taking over.