Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In recent years the subject of sexual health has been a growing concern across the country and, in particular, in the Northwest Territories. Sexual health consists of many aspects of health care, covering both emotional and physical well-being. This topic ranges from the detection and management of sexually transmitted diseases to family planning and contraceptives, breast and cervical cancer screening and the assessment, treatment and counselling of sexual health care. High-risk behaviours also contribute to transmission of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
Many of these areas of health care are crucial for people of all ages, but our youth are particularly at risk with the increasing numbers of STDs that have been reported. Sexually transmitted infection reports have increased by 30 per cent in the 15-to-24 age group over the past five years.
The statistics on sexually transmitted diseases are alarming. The NWT has a sexually-transmitted-infections rate nine times higher than the national average. The NWT has consistently higher rates of some sexually transmitted diseases, and gonorrhea rates have increased by 300 per cent in the last two years in the Northwest Territories.
These increases are a cause for our concern and for implementation of immediate action against the incidence and further transmission of disease. We need to be proactive in providing intervention and prevention strategies to our health care workers and medical centres across the North. The present sexual health prevention and promotion programs in Hay River are not that effective. The incidence rate of STIs in Hay River from 2000 to 2006 shows similar trends compared to the rest of the Northwest Territories. However, comparatively in Hay River, for both males and females combined, the data strongly suggests that a significant number of STIs are not reported. This also means they are not likely being treated.
There is no program designated to addressing the needs of Hay River in the education, early detection and prevention of STDs and other serious aspects of sexual health. It is important to address these needs, and this should be done immediately for the health and safety of our people.
We talk about priorities. I would like to suggest that this is not often talked about and not so nice to talk about but should be a high priority for our government to address.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
