The Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority is putting on their annual Sexually Transmitted Blood Borne Infections Conference today and tomorrow. The goal of the conference is to educate and spread awareness about STBBI’s to NITHA communities.
STBBI’s include Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Hepatitis B and C, and HIV.
Saskatchewan has some of the highest STBBI rates in the country and NITHA has been working for years to try and lower those numbers.
“What we are doing is working in NITHA communities to improve those programs for those infections that are sexually transmitted and some of them blood borne contact transmitted,” said NITHA Manager of Public Health, Grace Akinjobi. “The conference focuses on sharing strategies to reduce STBBI in NITHA communities by sharing experiences and knowledge from healthcare workers and also from peers,”
NITHA is encouraging people to get tested for STI’s and STBBI’s regularly and if you contract an infection, it is very important to let any sexual partners know and ask them to get tested as well.
“If you know you have multiple sexual partners, you have unprotected sex with someone you don’t know, we encourage you to test regularly because with that you can detect when you’re infected and not just the person infected but the person and their partners,” said Akinjobi. “If you are positive for any STBBI’s we encourage you to invite your partner to get tested as well so they can get treated as well,”
There are multiple esteemed speakers talking at the STBBI conference throughout today and tomorrow, which is being held at the Wildlife Federation building in Prince Albert.
(Photo by Jenna Smith)