“Culture” as HIV Prevention: Indigenous Youth Speak Up! Ciann Wilson, Sarah Flicker, Jessica Danforth, Erin Konsmo, Vanessa Oliver, Randy Jackson, Tracey Prentice, June Larkin, Jean Paul Restoule, Claudia Mitchell and Renee Monchalin.

Background Indigenous youth are diagnosed with HIV and AIDS at increasingly younger ages than youth of other groups Public health often focus on individual models of “risk,” which perpetuate sensationalized stereotypes and are inadequate. Contrastingly, contextualized models of health promotion understand health disparities as a direct consequence of complicated inequitable socio-geopolitical histories Strategies that centre on cultural reclamation, reconnection and re-engagement can focus on the knowledge, skills, talents of youth and are strength-based.

Methods

Findings “Um culture is a big deal because if you know about your culture you will respect your body more rather than not knowing anything and doing whatever you see or hear people do.” “We should talk to our elders about more because they have our culture and tradition and we need to learn it more because really that is the future.” “Yah [ceremony] gets your mind off doing things like drugs and alcohol and hanging out with your own crowd. You get to learn more.” “Because [the hip hop song]…just catches you, catches your attention… Because mostly everybody on the reserve listens to music”

Culture as Prevention Cultural Pride = Survival and Resistance Culture as fluid and evolving Culture = important for reimagining health promotion possibilities

Thank you! The Taking Action Team: Sarah Flicker, Jessica Danforth, Erin Konsmo, Vanessa Oliver, Randy Jackson, Tracey Prentice, June Larkin, Jean Paul Restoule, Claudia Mitchell and Renee Monchalin. The Native Youth Sexual Health Network Our phenomenal youth coordinators and leaders!