*** This study is now closed — Thank you to all who participated ***
CIHR Funded YSMENA Study
The Youth Sexual Health and HIV/STI Prevention in Middle Eastern and North African Communities (YSMENA) is the first community-based research program in Canada to center the voices of diaspora MENA youth. YSMENA is aimed at determining the HIV risk context and sexual health needs of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) diaspora youth living in Canada.
Research Phases
The study was done on the basis of achieving four (4) important objectives that were central to furthering an understanding of the needs of MENA youth at a provincial and national level. These objectives were:
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To understand how the social environments and relationships of MENA youth in the contexts of their homes, schools, and communities, shape their identities and influence their sexual health.
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To engage in developmental research that builds community and youth capacity in knowledge generation and sexual health
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To bridge existing gaps in the literature that apply to the MENA community and amass evidence to inform future health programming and policy
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To engage youth participants in designing sexual health interventions that can inform relevant programming and planning
The project followed four distinct phases outlined below.
2019-2020
Scoping Review
2019
Community Advisory Group Formed
Identifying gaps in the literature and services
October, 2021
Research Summit
MENA Youth Sexual Health Network Initiated at the Summit,
2021-Ongoing
2020-2021
i. Research Summit
ii. Community Advisory Board
iii. MENA Sexual Health Research Network - at the Summit
May, 2021 to July, 2021
Data Analysis
Jan, 2021 to April, 2021
i. Leadership Model (Train 6 MENA Youth Peer Leaders)
ii. Recruitment (55 MENA Youth, 16-29 yrs)
iii. Data Collection
July, 2021 - Ongoing
Publications & Conference Presentations Ongoing
July, 2021 - Ongoing
i. Social Media
ii. Website
iii. MENA Sexual Health Network
iv. Papers
v. Conferences
vi. Reporting
Check Back for Updates
For enquiries or further updates about the CIHR Funded YSMENA Study, please contact us.
We value participation, collaboration and support.
CIHR Funded Objective
Funded by two (2) Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grants, the objective of this study was centered on being an innovative, strength-focused, resilience-based, and youth-driven study aimed at reducing HIV vulnerabilities and sexual health disparities among MENA youth, including youth with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations.
Infographic
Click on the image for a full sized infographic or download for your own use.
All data was collected from the CIHR Funded YSMENA Study Final Report.
This infographic was developed from key findings from the CIHR Funded YSMENA Study
CIHR Funded YSMENA Study Team
Nominated Principal Investigator
Co-Principal Investigators
Principal Knowledge Users
Vijayanathan Kartheeharan
This is a collaborative study with the following community partners:
Acknowledgements
Our sincere appreciation and thanks to:
Our participants for their commitment, time, and sharing of their life-experiences. Their collective commitment will contribute to these studies for important advancements in the progression of YSMENA studies.
Funder
