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Safer Sex Is… campaign materials were created by the Labrador Friendship Centre’s SHIELD Project. All info in this short & sweet campaign was sourced from catie.ca. Campaign materials are available in English, Inuttitut & Innu-aimun. We’re excited to have been able to distribute these posters to communities throughout Labrador, thanks to numerous partners who support our work at SHIELD. We encourage you to share & save online as well or request a Dropbox link to download the full set by calling our office at 709-896-8302 ext. 224 or inbox us on social media!

English

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Inuttitut

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Innu-aimun

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The Labrador Friendship Centre’s SHIELD Project is proud to launch our #HPVAwareness campaign. Most sexually active Canadians will have at least one HPV infection in their lifetime- but HPV vaccines, condoms & dental dams can help prevent HPV spread!

Did you know HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection? Today we’re launching our #HPVAwareness campaign! See resources on our ACT Creations page at lfcshieldprject.ca Did you know HPV (human papillomavirus) is the most common sexually transmitted infection? Approximately 75% of sexually active Canadians will have at least one HPV infection in their lifetime. See links for sources & further info.

There are over 200 types of HPV. Some low-risk types can cause warts in the genital area & at least 15 high-risk HPV types can cause cancer. You may know HPV for its link to cervical cancer, but HPV is also linked to cancer of the penis, vulva, vagina, anus, mouth & throat. It can spread through skin to skin contact in the genital region during genital, anal or oral sex. See links for sources & further info.

Vaccination is up to 90% effective at preventing the HPV types responsible for most genital warts & HPV-related cancers. HPV immunization is recommended for Canadians between 9 & 26 years of age. In NL, HPV immunization is offered to Grade 6 students through the school health program. Prior to September 2017 the program included only female students. You can contact your Regional Health Authority for an official copy of your immunization record.

Using condoms & dental dams can reduce the risk of contracting or spreading HPV. If you’re sexually active it’s important to get tested for STBBIs regularly. Pap tests & HPV tests can detect abnormal cells in your cervix that could lead to cervical cancer. A doctor can also examine for warts caused by HPV & for signs of cancers of the penis, anus, mouth or throat.

It is so important to practice safer sex, find out whether you & your partners have been vaccinated, & get tested regularly for STBBIs. “HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection…most of us won’t even know that it happened because it can be quite silent. For some of us it will produce symptoms and for an unfortunate number of us it can lead to cancers. And that doesn’t matter whether we’re men or women or non-binary, it affects everyone.” – Dr. Jennifer Blake, CEO of the Society of Obstetricians Gynecologists of Canada

Sources are from SOGC and Planned Parenthood, NL. Quote from SOGC’s All of Us Against HPV event, recording available on Youtube.

The SHIELD Project is proud to launch our #HerpesAwareness campaign. Herpes simplex virus is incredibly common and spreads through skin to skin contact.

Herpes simplex virus is incredibly common. There are two types of herpes- HSV-1 & HSV-2. The World Health Organization estimates 3.7 billion people under age 50 live with HSV-1. About 1 in 5 adults live with HSV-2. Herpes can spread through skin to skin contact between an infected area & an uninfected area.

Many people who have herpes won’t have symptoms & may not know they have it. Although HSV-2 is primarily associated with genital herpes, both types can present as sores in the mouth, anal or genital regions. An outbreak of herpes might cause itchiness along with painful sores & blisters. The sores usually go away on their own, but you will still have the virus.

Condoms & dental dams can help lower the risk of herpes spread. However, it’s recommended to avoid sex during outbreaks or if you feel a burning or tingling sensation but have no sores. It’s also important to get tested for STBBIs regularly if you’re sexually active. A test can confirm the presence of HSV or other STBBIs.

To spread herpes, an area of the body that is susceptible (able to be infected) must come in contact with an area of the body that is already infected. That could be through kissing, oral sex, penetrative sex or by touching an infected part of the body before touching an uninfected body part. Mutual masturbation (partners touching their own bodies without touching one another’s bodies) is a safer sex option to avoid spread.

Herpes is a recurrent, chronic infection; but it is a manageable condition. Sores will heal & you can have a fulfilling sex life. Treatment can help by reducing the duration and severity of herpes outbreaks. From Ella Dawson, sex and culture critic: “Herpes is not a reflection of your character or a consequence of a bad decision. It is an inevitability of being a human being who comes into skin contact with other human beings.” Practice safer sex and get tested regularly!

There’s so much you to learn about navigating herpes and relationships! You can check out our sources here: 

CATIE

SexAndU

Scarleteen

Message from our holiday postcard reads: We’re wishing you a safe & happy holiday season and all the best in the New Year at the LFC SHIELD Project! Take care & thank you for another fantastic year from our Project Coordinator Denise Cole & Project Assistant Jade Rachwal. 

Plus, you know our project staff is invested in sexual health when even our door decorations promote safer sex.

Warm wishes and big thanks for all the support the SHIELD Project has had in this past year. We look forward to servicing communities & youth in Labrador in 2022!

The SHIELD Project and Violence Prevention Labrador staff travelled to Cartwright from December 6-8 2021. We are incredibly grateful for the connections we made and the amazing community support throughout our visit and events!

We started the week with a Community Groups & Agencies Roundtable to talk about youth health, relationships, violence prevention and other important topics.

Our first youth event was a Wenlido Self Defense & Healthy Relationships Workshop. We talked about boundaries, conflict and consent before starting a great evening of practicing self defense techniques.

A Youth Paint Night took place on December 7th, 2021. We talked about healthy relationships, sexual health and harm reduction while we painted. 

We also visited Henry Gordon Academy to share a presentation on Gender Identity & Sexuality on December 8th. In the afternoon, a Parent, Guardian & Supportive Adult Drop-In was held.

We concluded our week with a Youth Movie Night and further discussion on gender identity & sexual orientation. It was a wonderful few days of community events. We can’t say thanks enough to everyone who made our SHIELD youth tour such a huge success. Thank you to Community Youth Network Cartwright, Labrador Grenfell Health, NunatuKavut, Sandwich Bay 50 Plus Club, Henry Gordon Academy, and Violence Prevention Labrador. Big thanks to all the youth who attended our events and the fantastic team of supportive adults who helped to organize. We can’t wait to visit again!