Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Research Objectives: 1) To analyze gender differences of over time health outcomes related to antecedent sexual abuse, including incidences of social, physical and mental health issues, risk behaviors and HIV/hepatitis C infection (HCV), among young Aboriginal people who use drugs and participate in the Cedar Project 2) To gain better understanding of what protective factors prevent greater negative health outcomes among Cedar Project participants who have experienced sexual trauma, such as injection drug use and sex work; 3) To address sexual trauma and protective factors within a global public health policy perspective that contributes to the health determinants model of understanding young Indigenous people's health. Hypotheses: 1) Trauma and resiliency are significant determinants of HIV and HCV seroconversion among young Aboriginal women and men participating in the Cedar Project; 2) Young female participants who have experienced sexual abuse will be at greater risk for initiating sex work, injection opiate use and attempted suicide; 3) Young male participants who have experienced sexual abuse will be at greater risk for incidence of incarceration, crystal methamphetamine and solvent use; 4) Historical trauma among young Indigenous peoples must be addressed using a multidimensional approach at the individual, family, organizational, community and policy levels. Research Methods: I will utilize data from the Cedar Project, an ongoing CIHR funded initiative that monitors HIV and HCV among over 600 young Aboriginal people aged 14, 30 who use injection and non injection drugs in Vancouver, Prince George and Kamloops. Since 2003 the study has assessed demographic characteristics, historical and lifetime traumatic events, drug use patterns and sexual vulnerabilities among participants every six months. Quantitative and ethnographic methods will identify both risk and protective factors for harms associated with sexual abuse among male and female participants.