HIV rate study highlights condom use gap among some Windsor youth

A study looking at rates of HIV infection among local African, Caribbean and black youth has found these groups are using condoms less often than their peers, though their sexual activities are otherwise the same as the broader population of youth that has a lower rate of infection.

More than 500 youths in these groups in Windsor and Essex County took part in a survey over the past two calendar years. The participants were all 16 to 25 years of age.

Eleanor Maticka-Tindale, a University of Windsor professor and Canada Research Chair in social justice and sexual health, told CBC News that the researchers found that "they don't look very different than Canadian youth in general in terms of their sexual activities."

This includes the age at which sexual activity begins and the number of sexual partners these youth report.

One exception to this, Maticka-Tidale said, are youth who came directly from sub-Saharan Africa, or whose parents came from that region, tend to be more conservative than Canadian youth.

"They delay sexual activity until they are well into their 20s, on average, and as a result in their teens, they are less likely to have partners, those who are sexually active have fewer partners," she said.

Less condom use

Maticka-Tindale said the survey found that local African, Caribbean and black youths "don't use condoms as often as Canadian youth in general."

In the survey, participants were asked if they were HIV positive. The reported rate of HIV infection was approximately 15 in 1,000, a rate that is similar to African, Caribbean and black youth across the country, but well above the 1 in 1,000 Canadians in the same age group.

At the provincial level, Maticka-Tindale said individuals in these same groups have a higher rate of infection than the broader population.

"African, Caribbean and black people account for between four and five per cent of the population of Ontario, but they account for approximately 18 to 19 per cent of HIV infections," she said.

"So that's roughly four to five times higher than it should be proportional to the population and that's what we pay attention to."

Kenny Gbadebo, the co-principal investigator on the study, said there is a need for outreach to the young people in the African, Caribbean and black communities.

"We don't seem to have any programs, per se, to engage some of these young people, which is very concerning and disturbing to me," he said.

He is leading a new advisory committee that will lay out plans for next steps, including developing a program or prevention strategy.