‘We Need More Interventions Led by Black People’: Black Women Facilitators’ Perspectives on Adapting a Sexual Health Intervention for Young Black Women in Canada

This paper is presented by a collective of Black women who have devoted years to sexual health as educators, programmers and facilitators. It offers an insider perspective on their experiences facilitating the pilot of the Sista2Sista project, a sexual health intervention adapted to the Canadian context for young Black women ages 15–29. The post-pilot focus groups were conducted with stakeholders and facilitators to gather feedback on the intervention. This approach centers the perspectives of facilitators and stakeholders in implementing sexual health programs for Black youth. Findings show that the Sista2Sista pilot benefited from Black women facilitators, whose positionality fostered a culturally affirming space for young Black women. Additionally, the findings highlight gaps in race-based data and sexual health programming for Black youth in Ontario specifically, and Canada more broadly. Participants highlighted the need for holistic, relevant and sustainably funded interventions that address sexual health alongside pleasure, body image and systemic barriers, such as anti-Black racism. Overall, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of sexual health for young Black women by centring the lived experiences of Black women facilitators who informed the pilot intervention while advocating for contextually relevant approaches that reflect the realities of Black communities.