“My condoms! I forgot to tell you about my condoms!”

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Akulivik to Puvirnituq

… not exactly the first thing one expects to hear at an airport.

But as we were waiting for our plane to Puvirnituq this morning Daniellie Qinuajuak, the community liaison wellness worker, came into the airport saying just that.

We interviewed Mr Qinuajuak earlier this week about health and well-being in northern communities. It was a terrific interview, honest and heartfelt.

But as he came into the airport this morning, he had a large box of condoms under his arm, and said he regretted that he hadn’t brought the condom program up during our taped interview.

Rates of sexually transmitted infections are several times higher in northern communities, than they are in southern Canada, he said. Along with other measures, Daniellie was involved in a program that leaves free condoms in public places as a way to encourage safer sex. And the condoms were everywhere. In the washrooms, and near the airline check-in counter.

He then walked around the airport toping up the condom dispensers before rushing off to his next task.