Sexual health in a new cultural context: a resource for international students in regional Australia

Abstract

Summary A large number of international students enrol in Australian higher education and contribute to Australia’s multicultural population. Diverse cultural backgrounds and life experiences impact international students’ knowledge of sexual health and healthy relationships. Along with unfamiliarity of the Australian healthcare system, this may place international students at risk of poor sexual health. We explored the sexual health priorities of international students with 12 male and 16 female international students aged between 18 and 49 years, for the development of a sexual health and relationship information resource for international students. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded thematically in Nvivo 12. Students noted that cultural norms about sex inhibited their ability to access information and they had concerns about their relationship behaviours within the Australian cultural context. Some participants noted challenges with accessing information and care and were enthusiastic about increasing international student access to reliable information and access to services. Based on the findings from these interviews, we developed a resource specifically for international students and evaluated its design and content through three focus group discussions with international students. This evaluation data informed refinements made to the resource. The resource Kit contains sexual health and relationship information and provides links to reputable online sexual health information. The Kit has been widely distributed to international students and is currently being further evaluated for use and acceptability.