HIV Testing and Care in Canadian Aboriginal Youth: A community based mixed methods study
2008

HIV Testing and Care in Canadian Aboriginal Youth

Sample size: 441 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Judy E Mill, Randy C Jackson, Catherine A Worthington, Chris P Archibald, Tom Wong, Ted Myers, Tracey Prentice, Susan Sommerfeldt

Primary Institution: University of Alberta

Hypothesis

What are the testing behaviours of Aboriginal youth and what types of services do they use?

Conclusion

Many youth who tested for HIV did so based on a realistic self-assessment of their risk behaviours, but some felt invulnerable, which was a barrier to testing.

Supporting Evidence

  • 51% of surveyed youth had been tested for HIV.
  • Common reasons for testing included having sex without a condom and pregnancy.
  • 45.3% of youth who did not test felt they were at low risk for HIV.

Takeaway

This study looked at why Aboriginal youth get tested for HIV and found that many do it because they think they might be at risk, but some feel like it won't happen to them.

Methodology

A community-based mixed-method design using surveys and qualitative interviews.

Potential Biases

Self-reported data may introduce response bias.

Limitations

The findings may not be representative of all Aboriginal youth due to convenience sampling.

Participant Demographics

Participants were Aboriginal youth aged 15 to 30, with a mix of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit backgrounds.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2334-8-132

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