Twelve Border teenagers created two murals at the Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service in Glenroy to get people talking about sexually transmitted infections. 

Sexual health nurse Norman Dulvarie said the program, run in conjunction with Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW, was “eye-opening”.

“We did a pre and post evaluation of their knowledge and it was quite surprising the lack of knowledge these young people had,” he said. 

“Young people need to know with some of these STDs, you won’t have symptoms, you can be healthy and won’t be able to feel any different.

“It highlighted the need for these sort of programs, above and beyond what’s delivered in the school curriculum.”

A recent study by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians found 50 per cent of young people were dissatisfied with their sex education at schools.

Mr Dulvarie said Albury Community Health health promotion officer Helen Best cleared up misconceptions about sexually transmitted infections for the group.

“If we can teach the group good information, they can spread that through their peers,” he said. 

“It’s a difficult subject matter, people get embarrassed and it’s difficult to broach and with the artwork incorporating something fun drops a few barriers,” he said. 

“With that knowledge they gained from the day we asked them to come up with some ideas for a permanent piece on one of shipping ideas here.”

With the help of Coffs Harbor street artist Ashley Johnston and more than 30 cans of spray paint, the group got together to create the murals over Monday and Tuesday.

Mr Dulvarie said projects, such as the mural that increased awareness, complemented by outreach services, were crucial for bringing down rates of HIV in indigenous Australians. 

“In the States and in Canada, they have technology to test on the spot and we’re a bit behind the eight-ball.”