This study uses the 2003 British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey (BCAHS) to examine factors associated with Aboriginal young people’s sexual behaviours. Information from the BCAHS was used from a total of 2476 students, grades 7 through 12, who self-identified as Aboriginal. The authors used the BCAHS information from these students to examine variables related to having ever had sex, having had more than one sexual partner, and condom use.
They argue that using substances more frequently than peers, having experienced sexual abuse, and having lived on a reserve were most strongly and consistently associated with having had sex, having had sex with more than one partner, and not having used a condom when most recently engaging in sexual intercourse. They also found that “feeling connected to family was strongly related to increased likelihood of condom use in both genders” (p.858). They argue that these findings, except for having lived on a reserve, are consistent with other studies but are valuable in that they represent Aboriginal-specific information related to youth in Canada.