Sexual Practices And Condom Use Among Northern And Indigenous Adolescents In Northern Canada : Implications For Tailored Sexually Transmitted Infections Prevention Strategies

• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: Morressier 2017
• Subjects: Canada; Northwest Territories
• Online Access: https://openresearchlibrary.org/viewer/97e52fb9-5f25-4e93-a51f-000a9f685982; https://openresearchlibrary.org/ext/api/media/97e52fb9-5f25-4e93-a51f-000a9f685982/assets/external_content.pdf; https://doi.org/10.26226/morressier.5af060641dd164001d5ef39f

Background: There is an urgent need to address sexually transmitted infections (STI) prevention with youth in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada, where STI prevalence is 10-fold the national average. The study objective was to explore prevalence, and factors associated with, sexual activity and consistent condom use among adolescents in the NWT. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey with youth aged 12-16 years old in 12 communities in the NWT, Canada. Summary statistics were used to compare demographic differences between gender groups. We use poisson regression models with a robust sandwich error variance to produce adjusted relative risks estimates of the likelihood of experiencing primary outcomes (sexually active [vaginal/anal sex]; consistent condom use.Findings: Participants (n=780; mean age: 13.7; SD: 1.6) included adolescent girls (n=393; 48.7%) and boys (n=387; 47.9%); most were Indigenous (n=559; 71.7%) and12.1% identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer (LGBQ) (n=94; 72 girls and 22 boys). Among individuals who were sexually active in the past three months (n=115; 14.8%; 69 girls and 46 boys), over half (n=61; 53.04%) reported condomless sex. In adjusted analyses among girls, sexual activity was associated with age, STI knowledge, partner violence, and alcohol/drug use; lower likelihood of consistent condom use was associated with alcohol and drug use. Among boys, sexual activity was associated with age, partner violence, and alcohol/drug use; consistent condom use was higher among Indigenous and sexually diverse boys.Discussion: STI prevention strategies with Northern adolescents should address alcohol/drug use, and build protective factors-particularly regarding condom use among adolescent Indigenous girls. Findings underscore the importance of addressing the syndemic of violence, drug use, and alcohol use to mitigate STI vulnerabilities.