| Popis: |
Background Increasing rates of STIs in Canada pose an ongoing public health challenge. The highest rates are found in those under 25, regardless of sexual orientation1. The SOGC issued a challenge to medical students to create an engaging campaign educating first-year undergraduate students about safe(r) sex and STI testing. Methods The #SafeSexandU McMaster campaign was held August - October 2018 at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. The campaign featured four components: 1) Wellness Fair Booth, 2) Peer Support Volunteer Training, 3) Sex 101 Sessions, and 4) Raffle, and was promoted through Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. The wellness fair engaged with students during orientation week. Condoms provided by the SOGC were embellished with stickers incorporating trendy, pop-culture elements and the hashtag #SafeSextember. An educational roulette-wheel trivia game was created to facilitate conversation on safe(r) sex. Beyond orientation week, the team conducted training for Student Health Education Centre (SHEC) peer-support volunteers, and presented at their Sex 101 sessions throughout October. Throughout these events, student emails were entered into a raffle to win prizes. Results 5000 condoms were distributed. 57 email addresses were collected from students wishing to receive email reminders for STI testing. 43 peer-support volunteers were trained on STI presentations and contraceptive options. 28 first-year students attended Sex 101 events in their residence. Conclusions Students were eager to engage with the campaign. A relationship with SHEC was established, with plans for future collaboration. The embellished condoms were a key component of the campaign's success and should be considered for future undergraduate education initiatives. |
