PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED AND BLOOD-BORNE INFECTIONS IN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES: Sexual health promotion and STBBI prevention and care Indigenous 1 Peoples in Canada are at increased risk of contracting certain STBBIs due to multiple factors that are rooted in the legacy of colonialism. These factors include socioeconomic marginalization, inequitable access to and inappropriate health services, and various forms of violence and abuses of power, resulting in high rates of intergenerational trauma, mental health and addictions, and multiple stigmas. These factors intersect with each other in ways that influence Indigenous people’s perception of STBBI risk, their health seeking behaviours, and the treatment and management of disease. This document summarizes approaches to sexual health promotion and sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection (STBBI) prevention and care in Indigenous communities.
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It is one of a series of three plain language summaries derived from the background report, Sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections in Indigenous populations, which provides a literature review of STBBIs among First Nations, Inuit, and Métis populations and ways of reducing STBBI transmission in Indigenous communities. These knowledge translation products stem from a larger collaborative project between the National Collaborating Centres for Indigenous Health (NCCIH) and Infectious Diseases (NCCID) on STBBIs and the accessibility, availability, and delivery of STBBI services among First Nations people, Inuit, and Métis people in Canada. STBBI knowledge products developed from this joint initiative can be found on the NCCIH and NCCID websites.
The background report, upon which this summary is based, highlights the need for multilevel, holistic, and strengthsbased approaches to improve STBBI health outcomes among First Nations peoples, Inuit, and Métis peoples. It also identifies recommendations for sexual health promotion and STBBI prevention and care in Indigenous communities. This document explores these recommendations, summarizing their focus into three themes: 1. addressing the social determinants of health for Indigenous Peoples; 2. improving access to culturally safe and appropriate STBBI health programs and services; and 3. developing culturally appropriate health education.
In this summary, the term “Indigenous” is used as an umbrella term referring to First Nations (status and non-status) people, Inuit, and Métis people, collectively. Wherever possible, the terms “First Nations”, “Inuit”, and/or “Métis” are used to reference and distinguish specific Indigenous populations.