En Nouvelle-Calédonie, une étude épidémiologique de prévalence des infections sexuellement transmissibles, réalisée en 2012, révèle que le jeune âge, un faible niveau d’étude, le fait d’être une femme, l’appartenance ethnique constituent des facteurs sociodémographiques associés à un risque plus élevé dans les comportements de santé. Suite à ces résultats, la présente étude qualitative, réalisée auprès de jeunes kanak non-insérés qui vivent en squat dans le Grand-Nouméa, se penche sur la façon dont, la rupture de leurs liens sociaux, leur faible niveau d’études apportent un éclairage sur leurs connaissances et leurs comportements en matière de santé sexuelle. Nous examinerons également comment ces différents aspects sociaux échappent à la grille de lecture des professionnels de santé au profit d’une approche culturaliste.
In 2012 an epidemiological research concerning Sexual Transmitted Infections (STI) conducted in New Caledonia reveals that predominantly women, young people, less-educated people and members of the Kanak community tend to have the highest incidence of these infections than other groups. As a follow-up to that research, the current study is interested in the way how low level of education, a break-up of their social links and inter-ethnic relations have a strong effect on young Kanak people sexual health behaviours. In this context, are met on one hand vulnerable young Kanak (young indigenous people without a school-leaving qualification and with a low level of education) living in Grand-Nouméa squats and on the other hand health and social professionals. In this survey, the low level of education questions the quality of knowledge about STI in the population being studied. Indeed, numerous researches reveal that education is connected to health and use of care. As a place of acquisition of knowledge, the school system can play directly this formative role within the framework of health or at least give people tools allowing them to meet their needs in health. Concerning young people who drop out of school early, questioning their cognitive resources concerning health and sexual health more particularly could reveal possible gaps or misunderstandings. Other aspects are the social exclusion and the break-ups of social and institutional links this population of young people are facing. Numerous studies, in particular those of Pierre Chauvin and Isabelle Parizot in sensitive urban areas (2005), demonstrated that the experience of some break-ups increases the statistical risk of being confronted with other difficulties – socioeconomic difficulties but also care recourse, identity problems. The authors specify that, generally speaking, for individuals, difficulties met in social and sanitary plans are problematic as the traditional forms of sociability and solidarity weaken. When social links slacken, risk of being confronted with a chain of adversities and social breaks increases. As we shall see later in this text, a larger share of the young urban Kanak population is confronted with these breaks that could compromise among others health behaviours. In a context where Kanak people are longing for sovereignty, recognition and valuation of their culture in New Caledonia, the study reports the way interethnic relationships take form in a context of ethnic diversity. Studies led overseas, in particular those of E. Carde in Guiana (2013), underline the representations of others in care relation and the differentiated practices which ensue from it. We shall thus report speeches of health professionals who have for the greater part European origin and come from metropolitan France. We will analyse, in this particular context, the way cultural differentiation operates in care relationships and can interfere in care recourse.
