Exploring uptake of HIV/STI knowledge and safer sex-efficacy in an arts-based sexual health workshop among Northern and Indigenous adolescents in the Northwest Territories, Canada

ABSTRACT

Limited research has evaluated sexual health promotion projects with adolescents living in Arctic regions. The study objective was to examine changes in STI knowledge and safer sex efficacy among youth in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada who participated in arts-based sexual health workshops. We used a pre/post-test design with a convenience sample of students aged 13–18 years recruited from 17 NWT communities. We conducted summary statistics and comparisons between pre and post-test scores using paired t-tests. Among participants (n = 610), we found statistically significant increases in STI knowledge overall (mean difference = 3.9; p < 0.001) and across gender and age stratifications. There were statistically significant increases in safer sex efficacy overall (mean difference = 0.9, p < 0.001), across genders, and among participants: aged <15 years, in rural communities, reporting food insecurity, reporting dating violence, and Indigenous youth. No statistically significant differences in safer sex efficacy were observed among participants who were aged ≥15, sexually active, reporting consistent condom use, and using drugs/alcohol. Findings signal the promise of youth-targeted, arts-based sexual health workshops for improving STI knowledge and safer sex efficacy among adolescents in the NWT. Further research can explore how safer sex efficacy may be shaped by age, substance use, and sexual experience to inform tailored interventions.

KEYWORDS:

• Safer sex efficacy
• sexually transmitted infections
• adolescents
• Indigenous
• Northern Canada

Acknowledgements

Authors declare no conflict of interest. C. Logie was also supported by the Canada Research Chairs Program, Canada Foundation for Innovation, and Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation. We would like to thank all FOXY and SMASH staff, peers, and participants.

Statement Regarding Informed Consent

Parents provided reverse consent and youth provided assent.

Statement Regarding Ethical Approval

The study was approved by the Ethics Review Board at the University of Toronto (31602) and the Aurora Research Institute (16027).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Canada Research Chair in Sexual and Gender Minority Health: [Grant Number Tier 2]; Institute of Aboriginal Peoples Health: [Grant Number ]; John R. Evans Leaders Fund from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation: [Grant Number JELF]; Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science: [Grant Number ERA]; Arctic Inspiration Prize; Public Health Agency of Canada; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada: [Grant Number Insight].