Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Testing Among Young Oil and Gas Workers: The Need for Innovative, Place-based Approaches to Intervention

Background:
Northeastern British Columbia, Canada is undergoing rapid in-migration of young male workers in response to a boom in the oil/gas industries. Accompanying the boom is a rise in Chlamydia rates among youth, which exceed the provincial average by 22%. STI testing reduces the disease burden, and evidence suggests that targeting STI testing at ‘core' populations such as oil/gas workers may have a disproportionately large impact on prevention.

Objective:
(1) To document youths' perceptions regarding the socio-cultural and structural forces that affect young oil/gas workers' access to STI testing; (2) To gather service providers' perspectives on sexual health service delivery for workers; and (3) To develop recommendations to improve the accessibility of STI testing.

Method:
We conducted ethnographic fieldwork (8 weeks) in a remote oil/gas community, including in-depth interviews with 25 young people (ages 15-25) and 14 health and social service providers.

Result:
Participants identified limited opportunities to access testing, geographic isolation, and ‘rigger' culture as 3 key categories inhibiting STI testing among oil/gas workers.

Conclusion:
In light of the rapidly expanding populations of transient young workers, the development of new interventions that ‘fit' with local context could have significant public health benefits.

Implications:
Current service delivery models require young oil/gas workers to overcome several barriers to obtain STI testing. Alternatively, we suggest an active model of STI outreach based on intersectoral partnerships (e.g., between public health, non-profit organizations, and oil/gas industry). We are working with public health and a sexual health promotion organization to develop innovative outreach strategies, including a locally tailored public awareness campaign, condom distribution, expanded clinic hours, and onsite STI testing. The current study and its corresponding response is a critical step in improving access to appropriate public health services for these geographically marginalized populations using a place-based approach.