Talking Bodies : Youth Perceptions, Experiences, and Attitudes towards Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare Services in Québec

Once sexually active, youth account for the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Canada (Shoveller et al., 2009). For instance, in 2020, people under 30 comprised 73% of all reported chlamydia cases and 51% of all reported gonorrhoea cases in Canada (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2023). High STI rates among youth highlight the importance of sexual and reproductive healthcare tailored to this demographic. Youth have unique sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH) needs, which go beyond simply mitigating high infection rates as they transition physically and socially into adulthood (Ralph & Brindis, 2010). Youth reach sexual maturity while developing autonomy, new relationships, and life habits that can give rise to additional SRH needs. For example, adolescent pregnancy poses higher health and socioeconomic risks for the baby and the parent (Saxbe, 2018). However, developmentally tailored obstetrical care reduces high risks for pregnancy complications in youth under age 20 (Robinson et al., 2015). SRH services should consider the unique needs of youth and should be designed with youth in mind. To address youths’ SRH needs, researchers have worked with youth to identify both their barriers to accessing services, and potential solutions (Shoveller et al., 2009; Grieb et al., 2018; Narushima et al., 2020). Researchers analysed youth experiences with STI testing services in British Columbia (BC); they found that youth experienced structural and socio-cultural barriers to care and wished for “youth-friendly” STI testing services (Shoveller et al., 2009, p. 397). Community research in Toronto also sought youth perspectives to inform SRH services, interviewing socioeconomically marginalised, racialised, and LGBTQ youth to determine their SRH education needs (Narushima et al., 2020). Similar research from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, solicited youth perspectives to identify improvements to the STI testing experience (Grieb et al., 2018, p. 330). These studies demonstrate a precedent for consulting with youth to improve the design and provision of SRH services. At the same time, an absence of research remains on youth experiences with SRH services in Québec. To address this gap and to improve the provision of SRH services, we sought to understand youth perspectives, experiences, and attitudes towards SRH services in Québec. We asked two research questions: (1) What barriers do youth (ages 16-30) face when accessing SRH services in Québec? (2) What solutions do youth have to address their barriers to SRH care? This report outlines our method of consultation, the findings from our investigation, and recommendations for improving SRH services for youth in Québec.