BC report: young people aged 15 to 29 lack access to trusted sexual health services
Options for Sexual Health and UBC released the 'BC Youth Sexual Health Evaluation Report' on Aug. 11, highlighting gaps in care across rural, remote and underserved communities.
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Young people in BC aged 15 to 29 want sexual health care that is safe, inclusive, and youth-centred, but they're struggling to find trusted providers and reliable information, according to a new report published Aug. 11.
The "BC Youth Sexual Health Evaluation Report" from Options for Sexual Health and the University of British Columbia examined gaps in care across rural, remote and underserved communities. Researchers spoke with 91 young people and 47 sexual health-care providers across locations including Fernie, Vernon, Whistler, Maple Ridge, the Comox Valley, Salt Spring Island, and the Clayoquot Sound region, as well as newcomer communities in the Lower Mainland.
Rachel Bergen, sexual health evaluation project lead at UBC, told The Tyee that young people today do not know more about sexual health than their peers did 10 or 20 years ago. School sex education remains spotty or non-existent in many places, often centred on heterosexual relationships and focused on fear and stigma rather than comprehensive information.
Young people reported not knowing what services were available or how to access clinics, especially in small towns where privacy and transportation are barriers. Access to internet information also creates problems: "Youth spoke a lot about being overwhelmed by information and how hard it can be to find reliable information," Bergen said. "We heard a lot about misinformation and scary stories and anecdotes that you might see on social media that warp youth's perspectives on sexual health."
Over the past decade, BC has made strides toward better access, including introducing mail-order cancer screening, making abortion medication more widely available, offering free contraception prescribed by pharmacists, and launching GetCheckedOnline for STI screening without requiring ID. Despite these advances, rates of sexually transmitted infections, sexual violence, unplanned pregnancies and early-age parenting remain disproportionately high in rural, remote and mixed urban-rural settings.
The report recommends bringing sexual health services directly to youth spaces such as schools and youth centres. This approach is already working in the Comox Valley, where public health nurses visit high schools and Foundry youth clinics weekly for a couple of hours.
The facts
When was the BC Youth Sexual Health Evaluation Report published?
The BC Youth Sexual Health Evaluation Report was published on August 11, 2026 by Options for Sexual Health and the University of British Columbia.
How many young people and providers were interviewed for the report?
Researchers spoke with 91 young people and 47 sexual health-care providers across BC locations including Fernie, Vernon, Whistler, Maple Ridge, the Comox Valley, Salt Spring Island, and the Clayoquot Sound region, as well as newcomer communities in the Lower Mainland.
What services has BC introduced to improve sexual health access?
Over the past decade, BC introduced mail-order cancer screening, made abortion medication more widely available, offered free contraception prescribed by pharmacists, and launched GetCheckedOnline for STI screening without requiring ID.
Where is bringing sexual health services to youth spaces already working?
In the Comox Valley, public health nurses visit high schools and Foundry youth clinics weekly for a couple of hours to provide sexual health services directly to youth.
