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Home : Infectious Diseases : Hepatitis C and STI Surveillance & Epi : E-SYS Quick Facts : Sexual Behaviours of Canadian Street Youth: How Risky Are They? |
E-SYS Quick Facts[previous]
Sexual Behaviours of Canadian Street Youth:
|
“E-SYS is a collaboration between the Public Health Agency of Canada's Surveillance and Epidemiology Section (Community Acquired Infections Division, Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control), participating surveillance sites and the youth who provide the data and samples collected.” |
An increase in infectious syphilis (primary, secondary and early latent syphilis) among street youth was noted between 2001, when there were no detected cases, and 2003, when the prevalence rate was 0.7% (10 cases).9
Street Youth (General Youth Population)* 5 |
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Age |
1999 |
2001 |
2003 |
|
Chlamydia |
|
|
|
|
15–19 years |
8.98% (0.65%) |
11.51% (0.74%) |
10.88% (0.82%) |
|
20–24 years |
7.87% (0.75%) |
11.38% (0.88%) |
11.04% (0.99%) |
|
Gonorrhoea |
|
|
|
|
15–19 years |
1.56% (0.06%) |
1.04% (0.07%) |
2.19% (0.08%) |
|
20–24 years |
0.90% (0.07%) |
2.12% (0.09%) |
4.38% (0.10%) |
|
Infectious syphilis |
|
|
|
|
15–19 years |
– |
0% (< 0.01%) |
0.25% (< 0.01%) |
|
20–24 years |
– |
0% (< 0.01%) |
1.31% (< 0.01%) |
|
* Rates in street youth are prevalence rates; the rates they are compared to in the general youth population are derived from reported cases. Rates from reported cases may underestimate actual prevalence in the general population, due to asymptomatic cases and those who do not report for testing. |
As seen in Table 2, many street youth report having sex with high-risk partners. In addition, there are gender differences in the sexual risk behaviours reported by street youth:
Sexual behaviour of street youth |
2001 |
2003 |
|
Ever had unwanted sex* (%) |
|||
Male |
11.0 |
12.5 |
|
Female | 28.0 |
27.8 |
|
Overall |
18.3 |
18.2 |
|
Ever felt obligated to have sex (%) |
|||
Male |
|
14.3 |
|
Female | 25.5 |
||
Overall |
|
18.5 |
|
No condom use at last obligated sexual encounter (%) |
|||
Male |
|
47.0 |
|
Female | 39.0 |
||
Overall |
|
44.0 |
|
Ever traded sex (%) |
|||
Male |
16.5 |
14.5 |
|
Female | 26.5 |
29.3 |
|
Overall |
20.9 |
20.2 |
|
No condom use at last encounter where sex was traded (%) |
|||
Male |
26.4 |
29.0 |
|
Female | 24.5 |
10.0 |
|
Overall |
25.0 |
19.0 |
|
Percentage of street youth reporting having had sex partners with selected risk characteristics in previous 3 months |
|||
Under the influence of drugs during sex |
47.4 |
50.8 |
|
Had been told they had an STI |
17.0 |
16.0 |
|
Had traded sex |
7.1 |
9.5 |
|
* Unwanted sex is defined as having sex, but not wanting to do so, with someone in a position of authority. |
E-SYS findings on sexual risk behaviours among street youth are a cause for concern. Upstream intervention and educational outreach initiatives are needed to reduce the risk of exposure to STIs in this population. Accessible harm reduction programs and measures are also required to help reduce the ill effects of street involvement. In addition, interventions that are sensitive to gender differences, sexual orientation and unwanted sexual experiences are necessary for this population. The social aspects of life on the street, specifically the unstable living and economic conditions youth face, cannot be ignored. Only by tackling the full spectrum of issues confronting street youth will inroads be made in lowering rates of risk behaviour and STIs in this population.
For further information please contact:
Olayemi Agboola, Epidemiologist
Surveillance and Epidemiology Section
Community Acquired Infections Division (CAID)
Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and
Control (CIDPC)
Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
Jeanne Mance Building, AL 1906B
Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9
Tel. 613-941-8422
Fax. 613-957-0381
www.publichealth.gc.ca/sti
www.santepublique.gc.ca/its
[Hepatitis C and STI Surveillance & Epi]
* A "casual" sex partner is someone with whom the youth has had sexual relations once or a few times, but with whom there is no emotional involvement.
** A "paying" sex partner is someone that hasw given the youth money, drugs, goods or anything else in exchange for sex.
*** 0* A “regular” sex partner is someone with whom the youth has a relationship and with whom he or she is emotionally involved.
****0* MSM: Men who have sex with men.
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Last Updated: 2006-08-28 | ![]() |