CSIRO Publishing Home Books & CDs Journals About Us Shopping Cart
Sexual Health
  An interdisciplinary journal of sexual health including HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections
You are here: Journals > Sexual Health   
Search
 
 
  Advanced Search
   
Journal Home
General Information
Scope
Editorial Committee
Editorial Contacts
Sites of Interest
Print Publication Dates
Online Content
For Authors
For Referees
For Advertisers
How to Order

 Most Read
Visit our Most Read page regularly to keep up-to-date with the most downloaded papers in this journal.

 Early Alert
Subscribe to our email Early Alert or RSS feeds for the latest journal papers.

 

Aboriginal women’s stories of sexually transmissible infection transmission and condom use in remote central Australia

Astrid M. Stark A C and Alex Hope B

A Centre for International Health, Curtin University of Technology, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia.
B General Practitioner, Alice Springs, NT, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: astridmstark@gmail.com


Abstract

Background: Sexually transmissible infection (STI) rates are persistently high in central Australia, creating conditions for a potential HIV pandemic in the area. There is a shortage of qualitative research examining the underlying factors affecting STI transmission in this region. The present study investigates Aboriginal women’s current levels of knowledge regarding STI and their transmission, perception of risk for STI, patterns of condom use, access to condoms and experiences of condom negotiation with their partners. It also explores the sociocultural context of their sexual health. Methods: The present study used qualitative methods with a semistructured questionnaire. Twenty-four women aged 18–35 years from one remote central-Australian Aboriginal community were recruited. Results: The results revealed poor understandings of STI transmission, limited access to condoms and low levels of condom use despite a high perception of risk to STI. They also identified specific issues facing these women regarding the sociocultural context of their condom use, their access to condoms and the transmission of STI. The perceived effects of alcohol abuse, infidelity, sexual assault and shame on the acquisition of STI were significant issues for the women. Conclusion: This research has identified an urgent need for further qualitative research into the sociocultural factors that facilitate the spread of STI among Aboriginal people of remote central Australia. Implications include the need to increase their knowledge regarding STI and STI transmission, to increase women’s access to condoms and to incorporate the teaching of skills to deal with sexual assault and violence into sexual-health education.

Sexual Health 4(4) 237–242    doi:10.1071/SH07009
Submitted: 6 February 2007    Accepted: 31 August 2007    Published: 8 November 2007





   
Subscriber Login
Username:
Password:  

 View
Issue Contents
PDF (112 KB) $25
Export Citation
 Tools
Print
Email this page
    


 
Top  Email this page
 


Legal & Privacy | Sitemap | Contact Us | Help

CSIRO

© CSIRO 1996-2010