Background

In 2009 there was a mid-term stock take review of the four National Strategies and specifically the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sexual Health and BBV Strategy (P4). This identified a need to improve the knowledge and skills of health care workers in an attempt to address the barriers and improve access to mainstream health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

This resource, Djiyadi - Can we talk? aims to promote positive sexual health amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. The information and support material included in this resource will help sexual health workers to give meaningful, accessible and culturally appropriate sexual health advice and care to young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

This resource has been developed for all sexual health workers who work with .Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth. The resource will not tell sexual health care workers how to do their job because every job is different, and every young person is different. Knowing what to do will depend on individual job descriptions and the needs of the young people they work with.

Their role can be difficult at times because sexual health is such a sensitive and complex issue. Therefore, it is important that they have access to lots of helpful information.

This new resource will fill that need.

Content

The resource begins by looking at sexual health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander society, focusing on issues such as sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and blood-borne viruses (BBVs), risk behaviours, and the growth and development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Chapter 2 discusses issues related to being a sexual health worker, including different aspects of sexual health work such as referral and the importance of self-care.

Chapter 3 focuses on educating groups and individuals in sexual health, and

Chapter 4 looks at ways of improving access to sexual health services with attention to cultural respect and sensitivity, community involvement and working holistically.