SexPlus Week (Feb. 8 -14) is an annual campaign dedicated to having open conversations about sexual health, challenging misinformation, supporting inclusive sexual health information, and creating space for asking, learning, and knowing more about sexual health—all things I am passionate about as a First Nations public health physician.

Sexual health goes beyond preventing infections or unplanned pregnancies. It includes physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being. Accessing services can be challenging for many First Nations people due to fear, stigma, racism and discrimination in the healthcare system, as well as breaches of trust. Some communities face limited services, while others may avoid seeking care because of privacy concerns. And some of us are challenged to increase our knowledge and find safer, more respectful spaces to be shame-free.

With more people turning to AI for sexual health information, this year's SexPlus Week explores how to find reliable guidance and navigate misinformation safely in the age of AI.

AI generative chatbots – including ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini AI – can answer questions about STIs, birth control and other topics, but they have limitations. This is because AI tools analyze massive Internet datasets to identify patterns and summarize key findings, but do not “understand" sexual health and cannot replace healthcare providers. So, while their answers can be helpful, they can also be inaccurate or biased.

Summarizing the risks

• Misinformation: Chatbots often provide incorrect or misleading information.
• Privacy: Information shared with AI is not confidential and may be stored or shared with third parties.

• Discrimination: AI systems learn from Internet datasets that can include racist, homophobic, sexist, and colonial content, which can lead to biased responses that negatively affect First Nations peoples.

The bottom line: think critically about sexual health information and confirm uncertain answers with a trusted healthcare provider.

Recommended resources:

Places to learn about sexual health include FNHA's Sexual Wellbeing Learning Model, Sex Sense, and SmartSexResource.

Places to find sexual health services include FNHA's First Nations Virtual Doctor of the Day, GetCheckedOnline, or find a clinic and testing site near you.

For more general resources and supports for Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer and Indigenous LGBTQQIA+ folks, check out FNHA's 2S/LGBTQQIA+ resource page.

Learn more about best-practice ways to use AI here.

Learn more about SexPlus 2026 here.