LetsStopAIDS highlights sexual health education gaps during Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Week

Canada’s largest youth-led HIV/AIDS charity is available for briefings and interviews

Canada marks Sexual and Reproductive Health Week annually, taking place February 13 - 17 this year. The annual campaign is designed to raise awareness about sexual and reproductive health. Sexual health is an intrinsic part of positive physical, mental and emotional health. Positive sexual health begins with stigma and bias-free sexual education. As Canada’s largest youth-led HIV/AIDS charity, LetsStopAIDS is discussing the gaps in how information is distributed across the education landscape.

Issues include:
⁠- Schools deliver inconsistent levels of the sex-ed program and some schools systemically shy away from topics.
⁠- Similarly, teachers who don't feel comfortable having these conversations with students skip over them during lessons.
⁠- Surface-level teaching leaves youth uninformed about their sexual health.
⁠- There is a tendency in school programs to focus more on abstinence rather than safe prevention.
⁠- Unconscious bias affects education, especially for sexual orientation and gender.

Recognizing youth as central to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030, LetsStopAIDS is advocating for the following:
⁠- Accessible, youth-friendly sexual health education about HIV testing, stigma and the importance of knowing one’s sexual health status.
⁠- Elimination of the institutional barriers reinforcing health inequality, impeding access to care and treatment amongst the most isolated, vulnerable and marginalized communities.
⁠- Improved access to HIV testing to reach underserved and undiagnosed communities by implementing new and scaling-up existing HIV testing modalities.
⁠- Free, universal access to antiretroviral treatments for persons living with HIV and to pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP to reduce HIV transmission.
⁠- Development of culturally appropriate care pathways for persons living with HIV to access in their communities.

WHO:
⁠LetsStopAIDS is Canada’s largest youth-focused HIV charity. The organization identifies and advocates for the deepest needs of youth affected by HIV by fostering leadership skills, supplementing gaps in sexual education and acting as a conduit between youth and policymakers.

LetsStopAIDS spokespeople are available for briefings and interviews during Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Week, occurring from February 13 - 17.

Topics they can speak to include:
⁠- Gaps in sexual education for Canadian youth.
⁠- Sexual health habits of Canadian youth.
⁠- Common risk-taking sexual behaviours among Canadian youth.
⁠- The connection between sexual health and mental well-being for Canadian youth.

About LetsStopAIDS
⁠LetsStopAIDS is Canada’s largest youth-driven charity focused on HIV prevention and knowledge exchange. Founded in 2004 by then 15-year-old Shamin Mohamed Jr., LetsStopAIDS inspires youth in Canada and globally to play a meaningful role in ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. Through its numerous programs, LetsStopAIDS inspires young people affected by HIV to take action within their local communities, striving to achieve zero new youth-HIV infections. Learn more at letsstopaids.org.