About Let's Yarn

Young Aboriginal people have higher rates of notifications for many sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and blood-borne viruses (BBVs) compared to their non-Aboriginal counterparts.

Let’s Yarn! has been developed to make it easier for educators, parents and health professionals to talk to young Aboriginal people about ways of developing strong, safe and healthy relationships. The website brings together useful resources developed by WA Health and other government and non-government agencies around Australia.

The website was built by Permeance Technologies.

About the Artwork

The image on the Let’s Yarn! home page is 'Bush Tucker Dreaming at Sturt River' by Georgina Mandijarra. It originally appeared in Kutjungka Palyalatju Wangka: Desert mob stories about good health which was funded by a grant from the Sexual Health and Blood-Borne Virus Program (WA Health). The aim was to develop and produce local health promotion communication resource materials in consultation with community members in the Kutjunka region of Western Australia. According to Georgina:

“We need to think about the kids future. How we gonna grow them up and look after them. Some kids here they don’t listen to their parents... They need help and support from outsiders, from (aboriginal) people outside their family, to take them hunting and show them what’s out there, bush tucker, bush medicine and it’s fun out there camping. They need friends to talk to or their mothers or dad if they got problems ... I wish people would give each other good words and be gentle instead of being hard on somebody. We need strong local and kartiya people to talk to those who are sad or have mental (health) problems. People shouldn’t feel shame to ask for help.”