Contextual and behavioural risk factors for sexually transmissible infections in young Aboriginal people in central Australia: a qualitative study
Colin Watson A B K , Kirsty Smith A C , Ahmed Latif A * , Wendy Armstrong D * , James Ward E F G , Rebecca Guy H and Kate Senior I JA Centre for Disease Control, Department of Health, Northern Territory Government, Gap Road, Alice Springs, NT 0871, Australia.
B Present address: Charles Darwin University, 10 Grevillea Drive, Alice Springs, NT 0871, Australia.
C Present address: Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
D Centre for Disease Control, Department of Health, Northern Territory Government, Royal Darwin Hospital, 105 Rocklands Drive, Tiwi, NT 0810, Australia.
E South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
F Flinders University, Sturt Road, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia.
G Present address: UQ School of Public Health, Herston, Qld 4066, Australia.
H Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
I Menzies School of Health Research, Royal Darwin Hospital Campus, 105 Rocklands Drive, Tiwi, NT 0810, Australia.
J Present address: University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
K Corresponding author. Email: colin.watson@cdu.edu.au
Sexual Health 17(2) 198-199 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH19181
Submitted: 14 October 2019 Accepted: 16 December 2019 Published: 13 March 2020
Abstract
Rates of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) in remote central Australian Aboriginal communities have been persistently high for over two decades, yet risk factors for STIs in these communities are not well understood. This qualitative study explored behavioural and contextual risk factors for STIs in young Aboriginal people in central Australia. The study identified that casual relationships between young people are common and that there is a strong association between travel, alcohol and casual sex, highlighting the ongoing need for comprehensive sexual health programs that are tailored to the specific social, cultural and interpersonal circumstances of young people in this setting.
Additional keywords: Indigenous populations, qualitative research, sexually transmitted diseases.
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