Marking Black History Month With Commitment & Action

If you live downtown, sexual and reproductive health care might feel easy to access. You book an appointment, hop on transit, and you’re there. But for young people in North York and North Etobicoke, it might be a different story. For example, you could experience 

• A two-hour round trip just to see a doctor 

• Clinics that aren’t sex positive or youth-centred and so don’t feel safe or welcoming 

• Health care providers who don’t understand the realities of Black youth and who make uncomfortable or inaccurate assumptions 

Over the years, the youth we serve at PPT have told us that making the trip downtown for health services can take hours — time they often don’t have. And nobody should have to jump through hoops to get checked out, access birth control, STI testing, ask about pregnancy options, receive supports around healthier relationships, or access gender-affirming care.  

PPT is unique as a Community Health Centre (CHC). Not only are we Toronto’s only youth CHC but our catchment is the entire city! Youth recommend us strongly to their peers and we are so honoured and proud of that. And yet, we see much smaller numbers of youth from the north or east ends of the city, even though young people experience high levels of health disparities in some of these neighbourhoods.  

So thanks to the deep and meaningful collaboration with Black Creek Community Health Centre (BCCHC) and North York Women’s Shelter (NYWS), we are thrilled to share some very important programming that kicks off on February 13, 2025. 

Situated in the anti-gender-based violence Anne Marie D’Amico Community Collective at Sheppard Ave West near Dufferin, this is a one-of-a-kind collaboration consisting of clinical services and group programming. PPT, BCCHC and NYWS want to ensure that young people in the city’s north end can access PPT’s tailored, youth-centred, sex-positive, gender euphoric, sexual and reproductive health services close to home. 

As we celebrate Black History Month, PPT wants to recognize the ongoing work needed to ensure that Black youth have access to culturally responsive, affirming, and accessible care. We are proud to work alongside our partners in North York to create spaces where young people feel safe, seen, and supported. Black youth specifically face very high and persistent levels of health inequity due to ongoing barriers and anti-Black racism within healthcare. We are especially proud to bring PPT closer to one of Toronto’s most vibrant Black and racially diverse neighbourhoods and to do it in partnership with our sibling organizations! 

We are in the early days but will continue to share about this partnership (including opportunities to get involved!) over the next few months so please stay tuned.  

To learn more about this work and how you can get involved contact Khaldah at ppt@ppt.on.ca