Quebec

HOW DOES HIV AND AIDS AFFECT ABORIGINALS IN QUEBEC?

• In general, Aboriginal people experienced HIV at rates about 3.6 times higher than other Canadians in 2008.   (1)

• Aboriginal people living in Quebec make up 9% of the First Nations population in Canada; and 7% of the Métis population live in Quebec.   (2)

• However, Quebec does not currently report on ethnicity for positive HIV tests.   (3)

There is a need for HIV and AIDS programs and dissemination of HIV and AIDs information within Aboriginal communities in Quebec

• Most Health and Social Services Centres (75%) of the First Nations and Inuit communities of Quebec do not have an HIV/AIDS Coordinator.   (4)

• 93.33% of participating organizations did not have a specific HIV/AIDS program directed mainly at Aboriginal clients.   (5)

• 52.5% of the communities have no HIV/AIDS program and 40% of the communities do not report having HIV/AIDS related activities. Only 17.5% provide HIV screening services.   (6)

• More than 70% of the Health and Social Services organizations surveyed did not distribute information to Aboriginal communities and had little to no contacts within the Aboriginal communities in Quebec.   (7)

• There is concern that knowledge of services and resources available in Quebec is not being disseminated very well, which can be inferred because 83.33% of respondents would like to have HIV/AIDS training and 65% wanted to know what training was available in their region and indicated this as a ‘very important’ need.   (8)

Substance use (alcohol and drugs) is a concern within Aboriginal communities in Quebec

• 73.7% of Aboriginal people consider substance use (alcohol and drugs) a concern within their communities.  (9)

• In 2005, Canada-wide HIV data reported that 53% of new HIV cases among Aboriginal people were caused by injection drug use, compared to just 14% among non-Aboriginals.   (10)

The Aboriginal population is more vulnerable to contracting HIV and AIDS because of unique factors and social determinants of health

A person’s vulnerability [to HIV infection] increases or decreases based on:

• income,
• education,
• unemployment,
• access to stable housing,
• early childhood development (e.g. history of child abuse),
• physical environments (e.g. geographically isolated communities, prison environments),
• access to health services,
• support networks and social environments (e.g.  homophobia),
• HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination),
• gender,
• a history of sexual violence, and,

For this [Aboriginal] population in particular, face racism and the multigenerational effects of colonialism and the residential school system. 

(1)  Public Health Agency of Canada, Population-Specific HIV/AIDS Status Report: Aboriginal Peoples, 2008 at 19, [PHAC].

(2)  PHAC at 4 to 5.

(3)  PHAC at 18.

  First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission, Situation of HIV/AIDS Intervention and Prevention Among Aboriginals in Quebec, 2003 at 33 [FNQLHSSC].

(4)  ” at 34.

(5)  “ at 33.

(6)  “ at 34.

(7)  “ at 20.

(8)  “ at 6.

(9)  PHAC at 24.

(10)  PHAC at vii.