Despite increasing discussions in Canada and globally on sexual and reproductive health care, there is a surprisingly little evidence on use, barriers, and facilitators for equitable sexual health care in Canada from the perspective of youth, particularly youth with diverse identities and youth in smaller towns and rural communities. We know that youth experiences with sexual health care are all too often focused as “risk avoidance” (rather than sex positive) and hetero/cisnormative within white, colonial frameworks.

The team wants to learn with, by, and for youth on whether sexual health services are accessible (e.g., distance, transportation, locations in communities), available (e.g., waiting times, drop-in, virtual), and acceptable (e.g., language and culturally affirming; 2S/ LGBTQIA+ inclusive; sex positive) and how/ whether systems-level (e.g. policies) and socio-structural factors (e.g. intersecting experiences of stigma, racism, gender inequities, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia) shape youth access and use of services.

A multidisciplinary team of academic researchers have partnered with Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights and the National Youth Sexual Health Advisory Board to work with a team of youth co-researchers to interview youth across Canada on their experiences and needs with sexual health care and how services can better meet the needs of diverse youth.