An influx of transient workers from the Trans Mountain Expansion Project could mean an increase in sexually transmitted infections, according to HIV West Yellowhead.
Karly Savoy is the organization鈥檚 prevention and education coordinator. She said that workers brought in to work on Kinder Morgan鈥檚 pipeline expansion project will probably come with an increased rate of STIs in the communities they work in.
Energy company Kinder Morgan operates the Trans Mountain Pipeline that transports oil products from Strathcona County, near Edmonton, to Burnaby, B.C., bisecting Jasper National Park.
The company is currently awaiting approval from the National Energy Board to begin twinning the line. If it is given the go-ahead, it will mean a surge of workers will show up in communities all along the pipeline.
In 2008, Kinder Morgan twinned a section of line running through Jasper. According to Savoy, the swell of pipeline workers living in town coincided with a noticeable increase in the number of sexually transmitted infections in Jasper.
As Savoy pointed out, a large group of mostly single young people arriving in town naturally means more people will be having sex, and more sex means an increased likelihood of STIs getting passed around.
Adding to that is the fact that workers who aren鈥檛 rooted in their communities don鈥檛 always have easy access to sexual health services.
鈥淭here鈥檚 often barriers for workers accessing sexual health services鈥攁s well as other community resources鈥攚hen they鈥檙e working long days and they鈥檙e not off Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 when things are open,鈥� she said.
Because of this, many of those workers might not be getting proper information and testing, and may be spreading STIs unknowingly. 鈥淏ecause most STI don鈥檛 have symptoms, so if they鈥檙e not able to get tested that鈥檚 where you have problems.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not to say we think this is going to happen, or that with this type of worker that鈥檚 the expectation, but just to have that conversation open so that we can be proactive about it,鈥� she continued.
And while very little work on the pipeline will happen in Jasper, those workers living just down the highway in Hinton will likely spend time here, meaning it鈥檚 important not just for the workers themselves, but the Jasperites who will interact with them, to be aware of these issues.
Because of these concerns, earlier this year HIV West Yellowhead applied to be part of the NEB hearings. Recently they found out they have been granted commenter status, and will be given the opportunity to write a letter to the board which will be made public when the hearings begin in 2015.
Savoy said the organization will use that designation to help start a conversation about sexual health issues with transient workers, 鈥渏ust so it鈥檚 something that鈥檚 talked about.鈥�
HIV West Yellowhead would also like to spend time talking to workers and their employers directly to help spread their message about sexual health, and hopefully figure out some solutions to make accessing sexual health services easier for the workers.
Savoy said after-hours clinics, or on-sight testing with employers might make sense鈥擧IV West Yellowhead just needs to figure out what will work best.
Trevor Nichols
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