Growing within the same skin
Indigenous Youth's Experiences of Accessing Sexual Health & Reproductive Care
Indigenous youth aged 15 to 24 make up nearly 17% of Canada's Indigenous population. Despite their significant demographic, they lack access to culturally-centred sexual and reproductive health services. These essential services should encompass a range of supports, such as guiding young Indigenous cis women through the intricacies of their menstrual cycles, preparing young men for their roles and responsibilities as sexual partners, improving access to SRH education and services for Two-Spirit youth, assisting young parents and families as they welcome new babies into their kin networks, and honouring life stages through cultural ceremonies.
Guided by Indigenous Youth Peer Research Advisors (IY-PRAs), our objective is to learn what services and supports youth access, what they want more of, and what they wish they had available to them. Together and with our partners, we will collaborate on a plan to implement the IY-PRAs' recommendations to pilot strategies that can improve access to culturally-centred SRH education and services.
Why is sexual health important?
It's not only to better understand your body and how it works but so you can also understand when something might be off. Having access to sexual healthcare and knowing when to use it is extremely important.
What do you want others to learn?
Don't be ashamed of being human! I wish I knew that having questions about sexual health is nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone experiences changes and has different thoughts and questions regarding their body and sexual health
Partners and Funders
