Thursday is World AIDS Day, and Nunavut health care workers are taking the opportunity to recommend people get tested for all sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The rate of HIV in the territory is lower than anywhere else in Canada, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. In 2015, the rate of new infection is 2.7 per 100,000 people, less than half the national average of 5.8 per 100,000. Of all the provinces and territories, Saskatchewan ranks the highest, with 14.4 new infections per 100,000 people.
However, according to Government of Nunavut sexual health program coordinator Andrea Monahan, the territory does have high rates of other STIs, including gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia. This is cause for concern, Monahan said, because having one STI can increase your chances of getting another.
“Because our other rates of STIs are so high we know that people are having sex in ways that leave them at risk to HIV if they happen to have sex with someone who has HIV,” she said.
High rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis
According to the Government of Nunavut health’s website, in 2014, chlamydia was the most common STI reported in Nunavut, with 1,285 new reported cases. In the same year, there were 326 new cases of gonorrhea, and 94 cases of syphilis.
World AIDS Day falls in Aboriginal AIDS Awareness week. Nunavut Health is encouraging everyone to embrace the theme of “hands up for HIV prevention” by “talking about sexuality and sexually transmitted expenses and by getting tested for sexually transmitted infections,” Monahan said.
Monahan said she wants to reinforce the message that it’s important to talk about sexuality and sexual health because stigma can impede testing and treatment.
When people are ashamed to talk about sexuality and sexually transmitted infections, they might be afraid to talk to their partner about condom usage, or their health care provider about testing and treatment, she said.
Testing available at health centres
To help the conversation, the health department has recently rolled out new information booklets on safe sex, sexual consent and methods of birth control.
Nunavummiut are able to get tested for any STI in all of the communities at the health centre. While all staff understand the rules around confidentiality, Monahan said if people are shy while making an appointment, they can just ask for a well-woman or well-man checkup.
“And then they don’t have to tell anybody that they really want an STI test until they are actually in the office with the nurse,” she said.
Today in Ottawa, Canada’s minister of health, Jane Philpott, received a rapid HIV test at the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health before announcing more than $3.5 million in HIV/AIDS research funds, and for those working with people vulnerable to HIV infection, including in Indigenous communities.