Aboriginal Contraception Awareness Program
The Aboriginal Contraceptive Project is committed to providing you credible and up-to-date information about sexual health. This web site offers information that is culturally relevant to the people living in a diverse range of Aboriginal communities across Canada, thanks to the guidance of a team of Canadian medical and Aboriginal organizations.
In November of 1996, and sensing a need to reach out to First Nations and Inuit communities, the National Indian and Inuit Community Health Representatives Organization (NIICHRO) have partnered with the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) to create a supportive environment where youths, their parents, adults, elders and health professionals can receive information and make educated decisions about contraception methods and sexual practices. A Steering Committee comprised of NIICHRO, Pauktuutit, and the SOGC collaborated with youths, elders and community health representatives (CHRs) to discuss the challenges that must be overcome to deliver sexual health education in the communities that need it the most. At the time of this partnership, the content and materials that had been developed over a seven year period for mainstream audiences and now needed to have a specialty area that would reflect the needs, issues and concerns of Aboriginal audiences. The SOGC has already developed an award winning website (“sexualityandu.ca’), promotional materials and other reference components to be used by health professionals, schools and urban/rural health facilities. The same elements are being designed for Aboriginal communities.
Teaching youths and adults in Aboriginal communities about safer sex practices can play a major role in improving the income and social status of the next generation of Aboriginal wage earners. Young single Aboriginal parents are currently among the poorest members of society. If fewer of these women are unintentionally having babies, the level of poverty in Aboriginal communities will decrease, and youths will have more opportunities to pursue higher levels of education. This would help reduce the number of children growing up in poverty.
The information on this site is adapted from the SOGC’s internationally renowned website www.sexualityandu.ca