Centre for Social Research in Health
Overview
This project is funded by the Australian Research Council Linkage Program (LP170100190) with partner contributions from South West Sydney Local Health District (Aboriginal Health, Youth Health, HARP), Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District (Aboriginal Health, Health Promotion), and Family Planning NSW.
This project focuses on the positive actions Aboriginal young people take to reduce their sexual risk and build sexual wellbeing, and describes the social, cultural and personal strengths and resources that they draw on to do so. The project seeks to change the narrative about Aboriginal young people’s sexual health, from one focused on deficit and problems, to one focused on strengths and resourcefulness.
Conceptual approach and method
This research project has two primary objectives:
- First, to explore Aboriginal young people’s sexual decision-making and the strengths and resources they use to build sexual wellbeing across the different settings and relationships in their lives.
- Second, with existing sexual health promotion programs, to explore what such programs do well, and the factors and preconditions that support positive outcomes.
The project used an innovative peer-led methodology in which a small group of Aboriginal young people were recruited and trained to conduct interviews with others Aboriginal young people in their networks. They took part in four days of research training with the UNSW research team and, following this, they conducted a series of research interviews with their peers. Additionally, we collected researcher-led interviews with parents, adults and Elders. Throughout, we use the ‘third person’ interviewing technique, enabling us to document shared or community views rather than individual experiences. A second component to the study involved an interpretive evaluation of two ‘strengths-based’ sexual health programs currently running in NSW.
The project was conducted in two communities in western Sydney in 2019 and 2020. Fourteen Aboriginal young people were recruited as peer interviewers. A total of 52 participants aged 16-24 years were interviewed for the study including 33 young women and 19 young men. Seventeen interviews were conducted with parents and adults.
Partnership approach
The project uses strategies that forefront partnership, research skill building, and cultural safety and control. The project was developed in collaboration with our partner organisations and with the advice of the AH&MRC of NSW. It has an Aboriginal Advisory Committee to provide advice on safety and respect, and to review all data collection tools and research outputs. There are opportunities for research skill building in all phases of the research, including employing Aboriginal young people as peer interviewers. In addition, the project has funding to support a higher degree research position for an Aboriginal scholar.
Partners
- South West Sydney Local Health District (Aboriginal Health, Youth Health, HARP)
- Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District (Aboriginal Health, Health Promotion)
- Family Planning NSW
- Charles Darwin University
- Kirby Institute UNSW
- University of Sydney
- University of Melbourne
- University of British Columbia
Research Centre
Research Area
HIV and Sexual Health | Sexuality, Health and Education
- Publications
- Related news
- Funding agency
- Collaborators
Bryant J, Bolt R, Martin K, Beadman M, Doyle M, Carla Treloar, Stephen Bell, Dean Murphy, Christy Newman, Annette Browne, Peter Aggleton, Karen Beetson, Megan Brooks, Jessica Wilms, Bronwyn Leece, Linda Stanbury, Jessica Botfield, Ben Davis & Simon Graham (2023) Yarning as a method for building sexual wellbeing among urban Aboriginal young people in Australia, Culture, Health & Sexuality, DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2023.2258948
Graham S, Martin K, Beadman M, Doyle M, Bolt R (2022). Our relationships, Our values, Our culture, Our community - Aboriginal young men’s views about relationships in the Fostering the sexual well-being of Aboriginal young people Study . Culture Health and Sexuality. [accepted Feb 4, 2022] https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2022.2039776
Bryant J; Bolt R; Botfield JR; Martin K; Doyle M; Murphy D; Graham S; Newman CE; Bell S; Treloar C; Browne AJ; Aggleton P, (2021). 'Beyond deficit: ‘strengths-based approaches’ in Indigenous health research', Sociology of Health and Illness, vol. 43, pp. 1405 - 1421, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.13311
Gardner, K (2021). How Aboriginal young people in an urban setting access sexual health information, and the role technology can play. Masters Thesis UNSW Repository http://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/fapi/datastream/unsworks:72850/binfa5512b1-60ff-4bc1-abc0-2e92faef55a7?view=true&xy=01
Martin K, Gardner K, Bryant J, Bolt R, Doyle M, Murphy D, Graham S, Beadman M (2020). ‘What we do well’: Strength-based research about Aboriginal young people’s sexual well-being in Western Sydney. HIV Australia. AFAO.
Martin, K, Bryant, J, Beetson, K, Wilms, J, Briggs, T, Treloar, C & Newman, C 2023, 'Normalising sex and resisting shame: young Aboriginal women's views on sex and relationships in an urban setting in Australia', Journal of Youth Studies [Accepted June 8 2023]. doi10.1080/13676261.2023.2225422
Graham, S., Martin, K., Gardner, K., Beadman, M., Doyle, M. F., Bolt, R., . . . Bryant, J. (2023). Aboriginal young people’s perspectives and experiences of accessing sexual health services and sex education in Australia: A qualitative study. Global Public Health, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2023.2196561
Bryant, J., Bolt, R, Martin K, Beadman, M., Graham S, Doyle M, Treloar C, Bell S, Murphy D, Newman C Browne A, Beetson K, Brooks M, Wilms J, Leece B, Stanbury L, Botfield JR, Davis B, Aggleton P (2023). What we do well: Recommendations report for the project Fostering the sexual well-being of Aboriginal young people by building on social, cultural and personal strengths and resources’.
Bryant, J., Bolt, R, Martin K, Beadman, M., Graham S, Doyle M, Treloar C, Bell S, Murphy D, Newman C , Browne A, Aggleton P, Beetson K, Brooks M, Wilms J, Leece B, Stanbury L, Botfield JR, Davis B (2023). What do strengths-based sexual health approaches for Aboriginal young people look like? Perspectives from staff who design and deliver them.
Snedman N, Fields K, Shepherd D, Haines L, Nuttal Z (2022). Our strengths, our stories: Perspectives of positive sexual relationships from Aboriginal young people in western Sydney. ASHM Sexual Health Conference 2022, August 30-Sept 1 2022. (Poster presentation)
Australian Research Council Linkage Program (LP170100190) with partner contributions from South West Sydney Local Health District (Aboriginal Health, Youth Health, HARP), Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District (Aboriginal Health, Health Promotion), and Family Planning NSW.
- Professor Reuben Bolt, Deputy Vice Chancellor of First Nations Leadership, Charles Darwin University
- Associate Professor Steve Bell, The Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, University of Queensland
- Associate Professor Simon Graham, Department of Infectious Diseases, Melbourne Medical School, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne
- Dr Michael Doyle, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney
- Professor Annette Browne, Faculty of Nursing, University of British Columbia
- Ms Linda Stanbury, Health Promotion Manager, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District
- Ms Bronwyn Leece, Senior Health Promotion Officer, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District
- Ms Jessica Wilms, Aboriginal Health Education Officer, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District
- Ms Voula Kougelos, Manager Youth Health Services, South West Sydney Local Health District
- Ms Karen Beetson, Deputy Director Aboriginal Health, South West Sydney Local Health District
- Ms Megan Brooks, Manager, HIV and Related Programs, South West Sydney Local Health District
- Mr Ben Davis, Senior Health Promotion Officer, Family Planning NSW
