1. YOUTH IN
Presented by : Olivier Ferlatte, CBRC
BC Gay Men’s Health Summit – November
4th

2. Acknowledgment
 Dr. Terry Trussler (PI)
 Dr. Rick Marchand
 Justin Go

3. “According to a number of
recent novels, gay men
just want to be held.
According to some current
writing about HIV/AIDS
prevention, gay men
actually want to be killed.”
David Halperin

4. Youth in Sex Now
A decade of Sex Now survey has shown:
 Youth are less knowledgeable about sexual
health;
 Less likely to have adopted health seeking
behaviours;
 Risk behaviours have increased;
 The internet has become the predominant way
for young gay men to access the gay
community.

5. Uncovering mental health – Sex
Now 2010

6. Syndemic Production Model
Access to
Minority
Gay Identity
Weakness
Developme •Sexual shaming
nt •Violence Development of
•High rates of Psychosocial
substance abuse Health Problems
Initiation of •High rates of
•Substance Abuse
STIs
contact with •Depression
gay community Access To •Mental health
Minority
Strengths * Snowballing
•Social Bonding effects
•Sense of
Community
•Healthy Sense of Emergence of
being gay Physical Health
Problems, Including
HIV/AIDS
Adapted from Stall, Friedman and Catania, 2008

7. Youth in Sex Now
7161 (90.6%)
< 25
25 +
747 (9.4%)

8. Identity Development Social
Context
Marginalization < 25 25 + X2 OR
Verbal Anti-gay 49.5% 39.5% .000 1.504
violence
Physical Anti-gay 13.4% 11.6% .161 1.173
Violence
Suicidal ideation 42.8% 37.2% .003 1.264
Suicide Attempts 11.0% 8.8% .043 1.285
Child Sexual Abuse 15.1% 16.9% .221 .877
Forced sex 8.2% 11.6% .005 .677
Career Affected 18.7% 21.6% .069 .837

9. Marginalization X Age
60
50
Verbal violence
40
Physical Violence
Suicide ideas
30
Suicide attempt
20 Child sexual abuse
Forced Sex
10 Carreer Affected
0
> 25 25-29 30-39 40-69 60 +

10. Number of Marginalization
Indicators
None 1 2 3+
Youth 25.4% 28.6% 21.2%% 24.8%
25 + 31.4% 26.4% 19.6% 22.6%

11. Marginalization and development
of Psycho-social problems
Psycho-Social None 1 2 3+
Problems
Emotional distress 32.1% 44.4% 53.8% 63.2%
Social isolation 22.1% 24.8% 38.0% 43.8%
Substance Abuse 11.6% 21.0% 29.7% 33.5%
Treatment for 5.8% 18.2% 36.1% 47.6%
Depression
Other MH treatment 18.4% 32.2% 47.5% 58.4%

12. Number of Psycho-social issues
None 1 2 3+
Percentage Among Youth 24.4% 24.9% 24.6% 26.1%

13. Marginalization and Psycho-social
issues
Level of Marginalization None 1 2 3+
No Issues reported 49.9% 27.3% 17.3% 8.5%
1 issue 29.6% 29.7% 24.6% 19.2%
2 Issues 14.3% 22.1% 27.3% 25.5%
3 + Issues 6.3% 20.8% 30.9% 46.8%

14. HIV Risk Behaviours & STIs
UAI (last 12 months) <25 25 + X2 OR
Top 22.9% 22.3% .092 1.167
Bottom 24.2% 18.8% .000 1.389
Any 35.2% 28.8% .033 1.192
STIs (last 12 months) < 25 25 + X2 OR
STIs 8.8% 8.2% .537 1.087

15. Psycho-social issues and UAI
None 1 2 3+
UAI in last 12 months 25.8% 27.4% 32.6% 43.6%
STI in last 12 months 7.2% 5.4% 7.1% 14.9%

16. Summarizing ideas
 Marginalization has heated up and youth today
are more affected than ever;
 Marginalization is associated with gay men’s
experience with the community & the
development of psycho-social difficulties;
 Multiple psycho-social difficulties is associated
with an increased proportion of UAIs with an
unknown partner.