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0000-0003-0469-5762
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Studies in Human Society not elsewhere classified | Sociology | Sociological Methodology And Research Methods | Other Studies in Human Society | Demography Not Elsewhere Classified | Urban Sociology And Community Studies
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Men’s health | Women's Health | Studies in human society | Community services not elsewhere classified |
Related Links
Publications
Condom use and 'withdrawal': Exploring gay men's practice of anal intercourse
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 02-2000
HIV and sexual health knowledge and sexual experience among Australian-born and overseas-born students in Sydney
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2005
DOI: 10.1016/J.JADOHEALTH.2004.08.032
Abstract: To examine differences between Australian-born and Asian-born first-year university students in Sydney in their sexual behavior and knowledge about the prevention and transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmissible infections (STIs). Students were recruited from a stall during the student Orientation Week in both 2002 and 2003 at the University of New South Wales. A short questionnaire was completed and returned anonymously. Data on age, gender, country of birth, sexual behavior, and sexual health knowledge were collected. A score was calculated based on the sum of the correct answers given to 12 HIV/STI transmission and prevention questions. The students were then ided into three groups according to their country of birth (Australia, Asia, and elsewhere) and their knowledge scores were compared. Students born in certain Asian countries were also asked their perception of the HIV epidemic in their home country compared with Australia. A total of 1185 first-year students completed the questionnaire. Although older on average, Asian-born students were less likely to have had sexual intercourse and had had fewer sexual partners. They also had consistently poorer HIV/STI knowledge scores than Australian-born students. Students born in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore but not Thailand underestimated the prevalence of HIV in their country of birth in comparison with Australia. The combination of poorer knowledge, apparent misconception of the extent of HIV epidemic in their home country (or Australia), and potential later frequent travel indicates a potential risk for later transmission of HIV/STIs. The university is an underused setting for prevention health education.
Meeting Sexual Partners Through Internet Sites and Smartphone Apps in Australia: National Representative Study (Preprint)
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 04-04-2018
Abstract: tudies have reported on the proportion of the population looking for potential sexual partners using internet sites and smartphone apps, but few have investigated those who have sex with these partners, arguably a more important target group for health promotion. his study aimed to determine the proportion of people who have had sex with someone they met on an internet site or a smartphone app in the previous year. e analyzed data from the 2012-2013 Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships, a nationally representative telephone survey of Australian residents aged 16-69 years (N=20,091). The participation rate for the telephone survey was 66.22%. The prevalence of looking for a potential partner, physically meeting, and having sex with someone first met through an internet site or a smartphone app was estimated. Multivariate logistic regression was used for men and women separately to determine demographic and behavioral factors associated with having had sex with someone met on an internet site or a smartphone app in the last year. verall, 12.09% of respondents had looked for potential partners using these technologies and 5.40% had done so in the last year. In the last year, 2.98% had met someone in person and 1.95% reported having had sex with someone first met on an internet site or a smartphone app. The prevalence of all behaviors was greater in men than in women and in younger respondents than in older respondents. Among sexually active men, factors associated with having had sex with someone met using internet sites or smartphone apps included identifying as gay or bisexual (adjusted odds ratio, AOR: 15.37, 95% CI 8.34-28.35), having either 2-3 or sexual partners in the last year (AOR: 9.20, 95% CI 9.20-34.68 and AOR: 35.77, 95% CI 18.04-70.94, respectively), having had a sexually transmissible infection (STI) test in the past year (AOR: 2.02, 95% CI 1.21-3.38), or an STI in the last year (AOR: 3.15, 95% CI 1.25-7.97). Among sexually active women, factors associated with having had sex with someone met on an internet site or a smartphone app were as follows: having either 2-3 or sexual partners in the last year (AOR: 32.01, 95% CI 13.17-77.78 and AOR: 71:03, 95 % CI 27.48-183.57, respectively), very low and low income (vs very high AOR: 3.40, 95% CI 1.12-10.35), and identifying as lesbian or bisexual (AOR: 2.27, 95% CI 1.04-4.49). ore than a third of adults who had looked for potential partners using websites and apps each year had sex with such partners, and those who had done so were more sexually active, suggesting that dating and hookup websites and applications are suitable settings for targeted sexual health interventions.
Disclosing sexuality: Gay and bisexual men’s experiences of coming out, forced out, going back in and staying out of the ‘closet’ in prison
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-10-2019
DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2019.1668963
Abstract: Many papers have been written on the process of coming out by in iduals with predominantly same-sex sexual orientation but few of these papers have explored the concept of how people negotiate the idea of coming out in prison. We conducted in-depth interviews with 13 prisoners and one ex-prisoner in New South Wales, Australia, who self-identified as gay, homosexual or bisexual men. Data was collected and analysed using an inductive or grounded theory framework since very little was known on the sexual behaviours and identities of Australian prisoners prior to the study and elsewhere. We examined and discussed the lived experiences of prisoners whose disclosure stories were seen to fall under four thematic categories: 'coming out', 'forced out', 'going back in' and 'staying out of the closet' on entering prison. Respondents were required continuously and contextually to manage their sexual identities and disclosure to different audiences while incarcerated. Findings suggest that the prison environment and its attendant heteronormative values and hyper-masculine culture, apply significant pressure on gay and bisexual men on how to manage their sexual identities and disclose their sexuality in prison.
HIV transmission among gay men through oral sex and other uncommon routes: Case series of HIV seroconverters, Sydney
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 10-2003
DOI: 10.1097/00002030-200310170-00020
Abstract: Seventy-five homosexual men with recently acquired HIV were interviewed about their risk behaviour. Fifty-nine reported unprotected anal intercourse, and one shared injecting equipment, with a partner not known to be HIV negative. Of the remaining 15, 11 reported protected anal intercourse. In five of the 15 we judged oral sex to be the most likely source of infection, including three men who had a genital piercing. The possible transmission risk from genital piercing should be investigated.
Doctors’ experience of the contraceptive consultation: a qualitative study in Australia
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 12-05-2016
DOI: 10.1136/JFPRHC-2015-101356
Abstract: Contraception is a field in which good doctor-patient communication is crucial and core to shared decision making. Despite the centrality of contraception to primary health care in Australia, little is known about how doctors manage the contraceptive consultation. In particular, little is known about how doctors discuss sexual issues related to contraception. Fifteen contraceptive providers participated in qualitative interviews averaging 45 min. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using an inductive thematic approach. We found doctors were aware that they had to modify their illness-based 'scripts' in consultations about contraception, and said it was challenging always to adhere to a shared model of decision making. Prescribing behaviour reflected personal preferences in relation to some forms of contraception, and doctors were enthusiastic about the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system. Doctors identified gaps in training in relation to sexuality and reported feeling tentative in raising sexual issues, even within contraceptive consultations. A range of factors-including tendencies to use illness scripts, personal preferences, and discomfort with communications about sexuality-appear to influence doctors' approaches to contraceptive management. Medical training that enables doctors to move out of an illness-treating framework and to improve their understanding of and comfort in discussing sexuality issues will improve their management of healthy women seeking contraception.
Sex lives of older people - Self reported sexual activity in Australian sexagenarians
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 11-08-2008
DOI: 10.1136/BMJ.A1250
Homosexual experience and recent homosexual encounters: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1071/SH14122
Abstract: Background The aim of this study is to describe homosexual experience and characteristics of recent homosexual encounters among Australian adults and identify changes between 2001–02 and 2012–13. Methods: Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative s le of 20 094 men and women aged 16–69 years and the participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Respondents indicated the number of same-sex partners they had had in their lifetime and in the last 12 months. Those who reported any homosexual experience were asked the age at which this first occurred and about characteristics of the first and most recent homosexual encounter. Results: Reporting ever having same-sex experience was more common in women (13.5%) than in men (6.5%, P 0.001). Among these people, men reported more lifetime and recent same-sex partners than women (P 0.001). Same-sex experience was associated with some but not all indices of higher socioeconomic status. In men, it was associated with living in a major city (P = 0.02) and in women, it was associated with younger ( years) age and with very low income (P 0.001). Men were younger than women at their first homosexual encounter (P = 0.005). Women were more likely than men to have their first same-sex encounter with a regular partner. For women but not men, there was a significant increase in the proportion reporting same-sex experience since 2001–02. Conclusion: Same-sex experience is not uncommon and is increasing in prevalence in young Australian women. The high number of same-sex partners among homosexual and bisexual men places them at greater risk of sexually transmissible infection.
Sociodemographic correlates of selected health risk behaviors in a representative sample of Australian young people
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-2006
DOI: 10.1207/S15327558IJBM1302_7
Abstract: To facilitate the development of interventions to reduce health risk behavior among young people, we designed this study to compare risk behavior among young people and older people, to compare risk behavior profiles between young men and women, and to identify sociodemographic correlates of risk behavior among young people. Computer-assisted telephone interviews with a representative s le of 19,307 Australian men and women (response rate 73.1%) assessed alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, injection drug use, and unprotected intercourse. Respondents aged 16 to 24 reported less healthy behavior than older people. Although men and women aged 16 to 24 had similar profiles of health risk behavior, correlates of these behaviors differed for men and women. There were few consistent sociodemographic correlates of different risk behaviors. The results suggest that young women are now as important a priority as young men for interventions. Young people remain an important target group for health promotion, with nonheterosexual young people a particular high-risk group.
Knowledge about and experience of sexually transmissible infections in a representative sample of adults: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1071/SH14121
Abstract: Background Sexually transmissible infections (STIs) present a substantial public health burden, and are related to modifiable sexual behaviours. Methods: Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a population-representative s le of 20 094 men and women aged 16–69 years. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Respondents were asked questions regarding their knowledge about, self-reported history of, and testing for STIs. Results: STI knowledge was better in women, the young, people of higher socioeconomic status, those with a variety of indicators of being at high STI risk and those with a history of receiving sex education in school. Approximately one in six men and women reported a lifetime history of an STI. A history of STI testing in the last year was reported by ~one in six (17%) women and one in eight men (13%) and higher rates of testing in women were reported in most high-risk groups. The highest rates of STI testing (61%) and HIV testing (89%) were reported in homosexual men. Conclusion: Knowledge of STI-related health consequences and transmission is improving in Australians, and rates of STI testing were relatively high but were higher in women than in men. Further increases in testing rates in both sexes will be required to facilitate the early diagnosis and treatment of STIs, which is a cornerstone of STI control.
A Profile of Pornography Users in Australia: Findings From the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 15-07-2017
DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2016.1191597
Abstract: There are societal concerns that looking at pornography has adverse consequences among those exposed. However, looking at sexually explicit material could have educative and relationship benefits. This article identifies factors associated with looking at pornography ever or within the past 12 months for men and women in Australia, and the extent to which reporting an "addiction" to pornography is associated with reported bad effects. Data from the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships (ASHR2) were used: computer-assisted telephone interviews (CASIs) completed by a representative s le of 9,963 men and 10,131 women aged 16 to 69 years from all Australian states and territories, with an overall participation rate of 66%. Most men (84%) and half of the women (54%) had ever looked at pornographic material. Three-quarters of these men (76%) and more than one-third of these women (41%) had looked at pornographic material in the past year. Very few respondents reported that they were addicted to pornography (men 4%, women 1%), and of those who said they were addicted about half also reported that using pornography had had a bad effect on them. Looking at pornographic material appears to be reasonably common in Australia, with adverse effects reported by a small minority.
Are sexual problems more common in women who have had a tubal ligation? A population-based study of Australian women
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-02-2010
DOI: 10.1111/J.1471-0528.2009.02469.X
Abstract: To investigate whether women who have had a tubal ligation are more likely to experience sexual problems than other women. Population-based telephone survey. Australia-wide, including cities, regional towns, and rural areas. A total of 3448 Australian women aged between 16 and 64 years. Women were surveyed using random-digit dialling throughout 2004 and 2005. Prevalence of sexual problems and ratings of sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and sexual pleasure. From a weighted s le of 2721 women, 447 (16.4%) reported having had a tubal ligation, with 85.0% currently aged between 40 and 64 years. Having a tubal ligation was not associated with any specific sexual problem, such as physical pain during sex or an inability to reach orgasm. In fact, after controlling for age and other sociodemographic differences, sterilised women were significantly less likely than non-sterilised women to lack an interest in having sex (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.54-0.89), to take 'too long' to reach orgasm (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.50-0.96), to experience vaginal dryness during sex (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.50-0.96), and to find sex unpleasurable (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.46-0.90). Sterilised women were also more likely to experience extremely high levels of sexual satisfaction (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.27-2.18), relationship satisfaction (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.01-1.67), and sexual pleasure (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.20-2.12). Our findings suggest no adverse effects, and possibly some benefits, for the sexual lives of women undergoing tubal ligation. These findings should be included with other educational material for couples considering sterilisation as a contraception option.
Sexual Difficulties, Problems, and Help-Seeking in a National Representative Sample
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-02-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S10508-021-02244-W
Abstract: The Australian Study of Health and Relationships is a large national population-representative survey of sexual behavior and attitudes conducted every decade. We describe experiences of sexual difficulties lasting at least a month among Australians surveyed in 2012-2013 and identify changes since the previous survey in 2001-2002. Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by 20,091 people aged 16-69 years (participation rate 66%) of whom 16,897 people had had sex with a partner in the previous year. We asked how long each difficulty lasted, whether it was a problem, and whether they sought treatment. Half (48%) the men and 68% of women reported at least one difficulty. Lack of interest in having sex was common (28% men, 52% women) 21% of men reported coming to orgasm "too quickly" and women reported inability to reach orgasm (25%) and trouble with vaginal dryness (22%). Women were more likely than men not to find sex pleasurable and to have physical pain during intercourse. Some differences by age group were also apparent. Many difficulties were not seen as problems, especially lacking interest and reaching orgasm too quickly. People with erection/dryness problems, or with pain in intercourse, were more likely to seek treatment, as were people with multiple difficulties. Between 2001-2002 and 2012-2013, there was little change for men, but among women rates of all sexual difficulties fell by 4-10 percentage points. This change accompanied a drop in frequency of sex among people in ongoing relationships and an increase in masturbation and use of pornography. One explanation might be that, over time, fewer women were agreeing to "service sex" when they were not in the mood. Overall, the drop in prevalence of women's sexual difficulties since a decade earlier suggests a change towards more egalitarian sexual relations.
Circumcision in Australia
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 08-2006
DOI: 10.1258/095646206778145730
Abstract: The results from a telephone survey in 2001–02 of a probability s le of Australian households including 10,173 men aged 16–59 (response rate 69.4%) are used to assess the prevalence of circumcision across social groups in Australia and examine lifetime history of sexually transmissible infection (STI), sexual difficulties in the last year, sexual practices including masturbation, and sexual attitudes. More than half (59%) of the men were circumcised. Circumcision was less common among younger men (32% aged ) and more common among the Australian born (69%). After correction for age, circumcision was unrelated to reporting STI, but appeared to protect against penile candidiasis. Circumcision was unrelated to most sexual difficulties, but circumcised men were less likely to report physical pain during intercourse or trouble keeping an erection reasons for this are unknown. There were no significant differences in practices at last sexual encounter with a female partner or in masturbation alone. Circumcised men had somewhat more liberal sexual attitudes. Neonatal circumcision was routine in Australia until the 1970s. It appears not to be associated with significant protective or harmful sexual health outcomes. This study provides no evidence about the effects on sexual sensitivity.
Sexual behaviour and sexual health of Australian prisoners
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1071/SH12104
Abstract: Objective To describe prisoners’ sexual experiences and sexual practices while in the community, sexual identities, and sexual health (e.g. self-reported exposure to sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and female reproductive outcomes) using data from the Sexual Health and Attitudes of Australian Prisoners (SHAAP) survey. Methods: This study used a computer-assisted telephone interview to screen randomly selected prisoners using a questionnaire based on the Australian Study of Health and Relationships survey. Results: 2351 men and women prisoners from New South Wales and Queensland took part in the survey. Most men identified as heterosexual (95.7%) and reported sexual attraction (91.0%) and sexual experiences (86.6%) only with the opposite sex, but 28.5% of women prisoners identified as bisexual. Sexual attraction correlated with sexual experience (men: r = 0.63 women: r = 0.84) more than with sexual identity (men: r = 0.53 women: r = 0.54). Male prisoners reported more lifetime opposite-sex partners than women prisoners (median 24 v. 10). Women prisoners were more likely than men to report a prior STI (35.1% v. 20.0%). Conclusions: Prisoners are a high-risk group with regard to sexual health. There is a need for a better understanding of the sexual health of this population group so that education c aigns and interventions specific to this population group can be developed.
Sexual Coercion in Men’s Prisons
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan UK
Date: 2016
The bioethics tabloids: How professional ethicists have fallen for the myth of tertiary transmitted heterosexual AIDS
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-1995
DOI: 10.1007/BF02197191
Erratum
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1071/SH14105_CO
Abstract: Background Current information about numbers of other-sex partners, experiences of different heterosexual behaviours and the recent heterosexual experiences among a representative s le of Australian adults is needed. It is not known whether these practices have changed between 2001–02 and 2012–13. Methods: Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative s le of 9963 men and 10 131 women aged 16–69 years from all states and territories. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Results: Men reported more sexual partners than women, although the lifetime number of heterosexual partners reported by women increased significantly between 2001–02 and 2012–13. In 2012–13, 14.7% of men and 8.6% of women reported two or more sexual partners in the last year. Reporting multiple partners was significantly associated with being younger, being bisexual, living in major cities, having a lower income, having a blue-collar occupation and not being married. The proportion of respondents reporting ever having had oral sex or anal intercourse increased significantly since the last survey. At the last heterosexual encounter, 91.9% of men and 66.2% of women had an orgasm, oral sex was reported in only approximately one in four encounters and anal intercourse was uncommon. Conclusion: There were increases between 2001–02 and 2012–13 in partner numbers among women and in the lifetime experience of oral and anal sex. The patterns of heterosexual experience in Australia are similar to those found in studies of representative s les in other countries.
Estimating population distribution and HIV prevalence among homosexual and bisexual men
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1071/SH05034
Abstract: Objectives: To estimate the extent of the homosexual and bisexual male population in inner Sydney and HIV prevalence within this population. Methods: Data from the 2000/2001 Sydney Gay Community Periodic Survey (SGCPS) and the Australian Study of Health and Relationships were used. Results: A re-analysis of responses from men in some inner east and inner west postcode areas of Sydney indicated that: the proportion of men who identified as homosexual or bisexual ranged from 4.4% to 48.1% from 9.8% to 51.5% of men reported same-sex experiences during their lifetime and 12.9% to 52.8% of men had ever experienced feelings of same-sex attraction. HIV prevalence among respondents to the SGCPS in these same areas varied from 9.1% to 21.3%. Conclusion: These findings indicate elevated proportions of men with same-sex identity, experience or attraction living in these inner Sydney locations compared with other geographic areas and illustrate how gay communities cluster.
‘My Vagina Makes Funny Noises’: Analyzing Online Forums to Assess the Real Sexual Health Concerns of Young People
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 04-2013
Cannabis use and sexual health.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 02-2010
DOI: 10.1111/J.1743-6109.2009.01453.X
Abstract: Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit substance worldwide. Despite this, its impact on sexual health is largely unknown. The aim of this article is to examine the association between cannabis use and a range of sexual health outcomes. The main outcome measures include the number of sexual partners in the past year, condom use at most recent vaginal or anal intercourse, diagnosis with a sexually transmissible infection in the previous year, and the occurrence of sexual problems. Method used in this article includes a computer-assisted telephone survey of 8,656 Australians aged 16-64 years resident in Australian households with a fixed telephone line. Of the 8,650 who answered the questions about cannabis use, 754 (8.7%) reported cannabis use in the previous year with 126 (1.5%) reporting daily use, 126 reported (1.5%) weekly use, and 502 (5.8%) reported use less often than weekly. After adjusting for demographic factors, daily cannabis use compared with no use was associated with an increased likelihood of reporting two or more sexual partners in the previous year in both men (adjusted odds ratio 2.08, 95% confidence interval 1.11-3.89 P = 0.02) and women (2.58, 1.08-6.18 P = 0.03). Daily cannabis use was associated with reporting a diagnosis of a sexually transmissible infection in women but not men (7.19, 1.28-40.31 P = 0.02 and 1.45, 0.17-12.42 P = 0.74, respectively). Frequency of cannabis use was unrelated to sexual problems in women but daily use vs. no use was associated with increased reporting among men of an inability to reach orgasm (3.94, 1.71-9.07 P < 0.01), reaching orgasm too quickly (2.68, 1.41-5.08 P < 0.01), and too slowly (2.05, 1.02-4.12 P = 0.04). Frequent cannabis use is associated with higher numbers of sexual partners for both men and women, and difficulties in men's ability to orgasm as desired.
Meeting Sexual Partners Through Internet Sites and Smartphone Apps in Australia: National Representative Study
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 18-12-2018
DOI: 10.2196/10683
Through a hole in a wall: Setting and interaction in sex-on-premises venues
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 07-2007
Abstract: Casual and anonymous sex is available at low cost to homosexually active men in venues such as saunas, sex clubs and backrooms. In order to investigate the relationship between setting and sexual practice, transcripts from interviews with 30 gay men in Sydney were analyzed thematically, taking a situational interactionist approach which focused on practice. Men's reasons for going to sex venues, and for their choice of venue (gay/non-gay, saunas/backrooms), are explored. Physical features (such as steps, platforms, dark spaces, steam rooms, cubicles and glory holes) encourage or enable particular practices, such as fellatio or group sex. Interactional patterns include unspoken rules of venue deportment (e.g. silence) and vary with stages of cruising and how crowded the space is. Patrons consider venues in terms of the other men, and are generally unaware of the conscious intentions of the designers. Yet the venues are commercial spaces and share features with airports, supermarkets, railway stations, hotels and fast food restaurants. Venue layout deliberately disrupts patterns of social interaction which prevent sex from happening in other public places. The layout also shapes the sex that occurs.
Attitudes toward sex and relationships: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1071/SH14099
Abstract: Background Attitudes towards sex and relationships influence laws about what is and is not permissible and social sanctions against behaviours considered unacceptable. They are an important focus for research given their links to sexual behaviour. The aim of the present study was to describe attitudes towards sex and relationships, to identify correlates of scores on a scale of sexual liberalism and to examine responses to jealousy-evoking scenarios among Australian adults. Methods: Computer-assisted landline and mobile telephone interviews were completed by a population-representative s le of 20 094 men and women aged 16–69 years. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Respondents expressed their agreement with 11 attitude statements, five of which formed a valid scale of liberalism, and also responded to a jealousy-evoking scenario. Results: There was general agreement that premarital sex was acceptable (87%), that sex was important for wellbeing (83%) and that sex outside a committed relationship was unacceptable (83%). Respondents were accepting of homosexual behaviour and abortion and few believed that sex education encouraged earlier sexual activity. More liberal attitudes were associated with: being female speaking English at home homosexual or bisexual identity not being religious greater education and higher incomes. Respondents who expressed more liberal attitudes had more erse patterns of sexual experience. Predicted sex differences were found in response to the jealousy-evoking scenario — men were more jealous of a partner having sex with someone else and women were more jealous of a partner forming an emotional attachment — but responses varied with age. Conclusion: Sexual attitudes of Australians largely support a permissive but monogamous paradigm. Since 2002, there has been a shift to less tolerance of sex outside a committed relationship, but greater acceptance of homosexual behaviour.
Is sexual content in new media linked to sexual risk behaviour in young people? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1071/SH16037
Abstract: Background: Social networking and digital media increasingly have an impact on the lives of young people. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that examined the relationship between exposure to sexually explicit websites (SEWs) and ‘sexting’ (i.e. sending semi-nude or nude photos from a mobile phone) and the sexual attitudes and practices of young people. Methods: In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses statement, Medline, EMBASE and PsycINFO were searched for papers that described the statistical association between viewing SEWs or sexting by young people (defined as 10–24 years) and their sexual attitudes and behaviours. Results: Fourteen studies, all cross-sectional in design, met the inclusion criteria. Six studies (10 352 participants) examined young people’s exposure to SEWs and eight (10 429 participants) examined sexting. There was substantial variation across studies in exposure and outcome definitions. Meta-analyses found that SEW exposure was correlated with condomless sexual intercourse (odds ratio (OR) 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08–1.38, two studies) sexting was correlated with ever having had sexual intercourse (OR 5.58, 95% CI: 4.46–6.71, five studies), recent sexual activity (OR 4.79, 95% CI: 3.55–6.04, two studies), alcohol and other drug use before sexual intercourse (OR 2.65, 95% CI: 1.99–3.32, two studies) and multiple recent sexual partners (OR 2.79, 95% CI: 1.95–3.63, two studies). Most studies had limited adjustment for important potential confounders. Conclusions: Cross-sectional studies show a strong association between self-reported exposure to sexual content in new media and sexual behaviours in young people. Longitudinal studies would provide a greater opportunity to adjust for confounding, and better insight into the causal pathways underlying the observed associations.
Knowledge of human papillomavirus (HPV) and the HPV vaccine in a national sample of Australian men and women.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/SH09150
Abstract: Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) knowledge has rarely been investigated in the context of a national vaccination program. The present study investigated HPV knowledge after the introduction of a national HPV vaccination program in Australia using a national s le of men and women. Methods: Questions assessing HPV knowledge were part of a broader national study of health and relationships administered via a computer-assisted telephone interview. These findings are from wave four of the study, conducted between 2007 and 2008. Knowledge questions about HPV included its association with cervical cancer, genital warts and abnormal Pap tests. Results: A total of 2634 women and 2556 men between the ages of 18 and 70 were interviewed. Overall, 62.8% (95% confidence interval (CI): 60.8–64.7%) of women and 38.3% (95% CI: 36.3–40.4%) of men had heard of HPV. Of these, 66.0% (95% CI: 64.1–67.9%) correctly answered that HPV is associated with cervical cancer, 50.2% (95% CI: 48.2–52.1%) answered that HPV is associated with abnormal Pap tests and 44.5% (95% CI: 42.5–46.5%) answered that HPV causes warts. Predictors of good knowledge included being female, aged between 26 and 45, holding higher education levels and older age at first sex. Ever having a Pap test was also associated with awareness about HPV. Conclusion: One of the highest levels of knowledge about HPV in Australia to date is reported in the present study. Knowledge about the association between HPV and cervical cancer was particularly high, especially when compared with knowledge of the association with genital warts. This appears to be a consequence of the marketing of the HPV vaccine as a vaccination against cervical cancer.
The practical and symbolic purpose of dental dams in lesbian safer sex promotion
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/SH09073
Do women use dental dams? Safer sex practices of lesbians and other women who have sex with women
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/SH09072
Abstract: Dental dams are distributed and promoted in some safer sex c aigns for use in oral sex. However, whether and how often dams are used for sex between Australian women remains unknown. We investigated the use of dental dams for sex by lesbians and other women who have sex with women, and the relationship between dam use and sexual risk for this group. In 2004, a self-completion questionnaire was distributed to women attending the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Fair Day and lesbian community venues and health services in Sydney (n = 543). Among the 330 women who had had oral sex with a woman in the previous 6 months, 9.7% had used a dental dam and 2.1% had used one ‘often’. There was little evidence of dam use for prevention of sexually transmissible infections. Although women who practised rimming (oral–anal contact) or had fetish sex involving blood were more likely to have used a dam, dam use was not significantly more common among women who had more partners, or had casual or group sex. Some women avoided oral sex during menstruation or had oral sex with a t on in place. Latex gloves and condoms were used by more women and more often than dams.
Are sexual problems more common in men who have had a vasectomy? A population-based study of Australian men
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 02-2010
DOI: 10.1111/J.1743-6109.2009.01565.X
Abstract: It is not known whether sexual problems are currently more prevalent among men who have had a vasectomy compared with those who have not had a vasectomy. To investigate whether vasectomized men are more likely to report experiencing a range of sexual problems than nonvasectomized men and to assess their overall sexual and relationship satisfaction. A population-based survey of 3,390 Australian men's sexual experiences was conducted using computer-assisted telephone interviewing. Proportions of vasectomized and nonvasectomized men who: (i) reported a sexual problem for at least 1 month during the last 12 months and (ii) rated their sexual and relationship satisfaction as either extremely satisfying or not extremely satisfying. Vasectomy was reported by 25.1% of men, almost 70% of whom were aged 40-59 years. Vasectomized men were more likely to be married, live in regional areas, and speak English at home. Having a vasectomy was not associated with any specific sexual problem, such as lacking interest in sex or taking too long to reach orgasm. Vasectomized men (10.8%) were slightly more likely than nonvasectomized men (8.2%) to report problems maintaining an erection, but this difference disappeared when age and other socio-demographic variations were taken into account. Although vasectomized men (33.7%) were just as likely as nonvasectomized men (33.0%) to be extremely satisfied sexually, they were significantly more likely to be extremely satisfied with their relationship overall (48.3% vs. 42.9%). Our findings suggest that sexual problems are no more prevalent among vasectomized men than they are among nonvasectomized men.
Does research into contraceptive method discontinuation address women's own reasons? A critical review
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 20-01-2015
DOI: 10.1136/JFPRHC-2014-100976
Abstract: To examine the clinical and epidemiological literature addressing contraceptive method change or discontinuation and to assess whether the documented reasons reflected women's experiences. Major databases including Medline and PsycINFO were searched using keywords related to contraception and discontinuation, adherence and satisfaction, for articles published between January 2003 and February 2013. Studies in developed countries that focused on women of reproductive age and reasons for method change or discontinuation were included. Reasons reported were categorised and examined. A total of 123 papers were reviewed in detail. Medical terminology was generally used to describe reasons for method discontinuation. The top two reported reasons were bleeding and pregnancy, but there was a lack of consensus about the categorisation of reasons. Broad categories that were not self-explanatory were included in more than half of the papers, often without further explanation. Only 12 studies expanded on categories containing 'other', 'non-medical' or 'personal' reasons. Eight papers included categories that attributed discontinuation to the participant, such as 'dissatisfied with method'. Studies of reasons for discontinuation of contraceptives do not well describe women's specific reasons. Studies rely heavily on medical terms and often fail to document women's subjective experiences. Future studies should create an opportunity for women to articulate their non-medical reasons in their own words, including those related to their sexual lives. Furthermore, researchers should distinguish, if possible, between reasons for discontinuation of a method and reasons for ceasing participation in a research study.
Bodies, pleasure and displeasure
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 04-2009
DOI: 10.1080/13691050701834626
Abstract: In sociology and cultural studies, the body is often treated only as a symbolic space, as a surface on which sexual meanings are written and from which they are read. Realist philosophy of science and philosophy of mind, however, do not treat discursive meaning as arbitrary and disconnected from the material universe. Using a realist framework, this paper examines areas of collision between values and beliefs about matters of fact concerning men's and women's sexual bodies and sexual pleasure and displeasure. Groups c aigning for and against male circumcision do not argue directly against each other. The first draw on health justifications, while the latter raise difficulties about human rights and loss of sexual sensitivity. Measuring penile sensitivity proves to be difficult. When sexual satisfaction is understood as traditional masculine role adequacy in reproductive coitus, there is no way of understanding complaints about loss of receptive sensuality. Debates about the structure and nomenclature of the clitoris, about the existence of female ejaculation and about the evolutionary function of the female orgasm similarly founder when the protagonists do not share a conceptual framework: macroscopic anatomic structures and physiological processes become invisible to observers and false assumptions are made, for ex le about when and how orgasm occurs. Most sexual difficulties are not physical dysfunctions, but failures to meet social rules of sexual behaviour. In conclusion, the paper draws attention to issues insufficiently addressed in contemporary sexuality studies and calls for practical engagement by social researchers with public health and policy.
The impact of sexual coercion on psychological, physical, and sexual well-being in a representative sample of Australian women
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-12-2007
DOI: 10.1007/S10508-006-9129-0
Abstract: It is well established that, compared to other women, women who have been forced or frightened into unwanted sexual activity have poorer psychological, physical, and sexual health. However, it is not clear whether particular experiences of sexual coercion, such as younger age when coerced or number of times coerced, are more likely to lead to poorer health status. This study of a representative s le of Australian women aged 16-59 years was designed to examine such associations. Of the 9134 women recruited for the study, 885 (21%) had been sexually coerced, which was defined as being forced or frightened into unwanted sexual activity. This study showed that any experience of sexual coercion was associated with poorer psychological, physical, and sexual health. The data revealed no consistent associations between health status and particular characteristics of sexual coercion, such as the age when women were coerced, the number of times they had been coerced, or the time since being coerced. Two of the few significant findings were that women who had been coerced more than once reported significantly greater psychosocial distress, and that women first coerced when aged 13-16 reported poorer physical well-being than women first coerced at younger or older ages. There was no significant association between whether women had consulted a psychologist or other professional counselor and better health status. The absence of consistent associations between health status and particular characteristics of sexual coercion indicates a need for care and support services for all women who have been sexually coerced.
Consensual Sex Between Men and Sexual Violence in Australian Prisons
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-08-2010
DOI: 10.1007/S10508-010-9667-3
Abstract: Estimates of the incidence of sexual coercion in men's prisons are notoriously variable and fraught with conceptual and methodological problems. In 2006-2007, we conducted a computer-assisted telephone survey of a random s le of 2,018 male prisoners in New South Wales and Queensland. Of 2,626 eligible and available inmates, 76.8% consented and provided full responses. We asked about time in prison, sexual experience, attraction and (homo/bi/heterosexual) identity, attitudes, sexual contact with other inmates, reasons for having sex and practices engaged in, and about sexual coercion, including location and number of perpetrators. Most men (95.1%) identified as heterosexual. Of the total s le, 13.5% reported sexual contact with males in their lifetime: 7.8% only outside prison, 2.8% both inside and outside, and 2.7% only inside prison. Later in the interview, 144 men (7.1% of total s le) reported sexual contact with inmates in prison the majority had few partners and no anal intercourse. Most did so for pleasure, but some for protection, i.e., to avoid assault by someone else. Before incarceration, 32.9% feared sexual assault in prison 6.9% had been sexually threatened in prison and 2.6% had been sexually coerced ("forced or frightened into doing something sexually that [they] did not want"). Some of those coerced reported no same-sex contact. The majority of prisoners were intolerant of male-to-male sexual activity. The study achieved a high response rate and asked detailed questions to elicit reports of coercion and sex separately. Both consensual sex and sexual assault are less common than is generally believed.
Performing (heterosexual) femininity: female agency and role in sexual life and contraceptive use – a qualitative study in Australia
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 23-08-2016
DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2016.1214872
Abstract: Women's liberation and the sexual revolution have changed the social landscape for heterosexual women in the West over the past 50 years, but exploration of women's lived experiences of contraceptive use in the context of their sexual lives is comparatively recent. We conducted 94 in-depth open-ended interviews with women of reproductive age (16-49 years) living in New South Wales, Australia. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using an inductive thematic approach. Four major themes are explored here: (1) what women do and do not do: unspoken gendered assumptions (2) focus on partner's pleasure (3) juggling responsibilities: sex as a chore and (4) women's sexual motivations. Findings suggest sexual double standards and gender expectations continue to pervade women's sexual and contraceptive practices. We found that women performed their femininity by focusing on enabling their male partner's pleasure, while simultaneously ignoring their own sexual desires, wishes or interests. Accompanying new-found freedoms are new-found responsibilities, as women now add managing modern contraceptives and a good sex life to their list of tasks alongside paid employment, domestic labour and childrearing. Our research findings suggest that women may derive different pleasures from sex, including what we term 'connection pleasure'.
Contraceptive practices among women
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.CONTRACEPTION.2016.06.016
Abstract: To document the use of contraception by a representative s le of Australian women aged 16-49 years and compare it with 2001-2002. Women were asked about their use of contraception and method used or reason for non-use during computer-assisted telephone interviews in 2012-2013. Women were s led by random digit dialling of landline and mobile phones (participation rate 67.2%). Of a weighted s le of 5654 heterosexually active women interviewed 81% were using a method of contraception including sterilisation this amounts to 66% of all women aged 16-49. Of those who were not using a method, 42% were pregnant or wanted a baby, 25% said they or their partners were infertile, 5% were currently not having intercourse, 3% were past menopause and 25% were apparently at risk of unintended pregnancy. Of those who used a method, 33% used oral contraceptives, 30% condoms and 19% sterilisation as their primary method. Use of condoms, intrauterine devices, implants and emergency contraception has increased since 2002, and use of sterilisation has fallen. Method used varied by age group, location, occupational group, relationship status and parity. A third of women had ever used emergency contraception, with the highest rate among women in their 20s. Australian women have access to a wide range of effective contraceptive methods. Given the high levels of use, most unintended pregnancies in Australia are likely to be attributable to method failure or inconsistent use.
Knowledge of sexually transmissible infections: a comparison of prisoners and the general population
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 07-2011
Abstract: The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified a failure to provide education for vulnerable populations such as prisoners as a contributing factor to the epidemic of sexually transmissible infections (STIs). Despite this recognition, little is known about prisoners' level of knowledge of STIs compared with the general population. Using computer-assisted telephone interviews, we compared a representative s le of 2289 Australian prisoners, aged 18–59 years from New South Wales and Queensland prisons with a representative community s le of 3536 participants from these two states. Prisoners had significantly better knowledge than the general community of chlamydia-related questions, while knowledge of herpes (genital and oral) was slightly better in the community s le. Prisoners who were aged over 25 years, not married, female, self-identified as either homosexual or bisexual and reported a history of STIs tended to have better STI knowledge levels. Despite their more disadvantaged backgrounds, prisoners demonstrated relatively good health literacy in relation to STIs. Ongoing education about the transmission risks of STIs for prisoners and the general community is needed.
Organised abuse: A neglected category of sexual abuse with significant lifetime mental healthcare sequelae
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 14-09-2012
DOI: 10.3109/09638237.2012.682264
Abstract: Organised abuse (where multiple adults conspire to sexually abuse multiple children) has been one of the most controversial issues in debates over mental health practice with survivors of child sexual abuse. The aim of this paper is to summarise and analyse the available prevalence data pertinent to organised abuse and to identify the challenges that organised abuse poses for mental health policy and practice. Prevalence studies of sexual abuse based on community and clinical s les were reviewed for findings pertinent to organised abuse. Key indicators of organised abuse were selected and summarised on the basis of their association with the known characteristics of organised abuse. The literature regarding the health impacts of these indicators was also reviewed. A minority of people reporting contact sexual abuse in the community report experiences indicative of organised abuse. These indicators are elevated in particular settings and they are associated with poor mental and physical health. Organised abuse is rare but it is associated with poor mental and physical health outcomes. There is currently no source of integrated care for adults with histories of organised abuse. Many survivors end up in prison or homeless, chronically disabled by illness, or dead.
Women in contact with Sydney's gay and lesbian community: Sexual identity, practice and HIV risks
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 04-2002
DOI: 10.1080/09540120220104703
Abstract: Total rates are low, but sex with a man remains the main risk for HIV transmission to women in Australia. In February 1998, 774 women in contact with gay, bisexual and lesbian communities completed a two-page questionnaire. Almost all respondents had some social contact with gay men. Two-thirds (503) thought of themselves as lesbian/dyke/homosexual/gay, 13% (100) as bisexual and 17% (133) as heterosexual/straight. In total, 212 women (27%) said they had ever had sex with a gay or bisexual man 51 women (7%) had done so in the past six months. About 2% of the lesbians said they had recently had sex with a gay/bi man, as had 8% of the heterosexuals and 25% of the bisexuals 25 women had recently had unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse with a male gay/bi partner. Forty-eight women (6%) had done sex work. Asked about drug use, 61 women (8%) said they had injected in the past six months. Twenty-three women had shared injecting equipment with someone, and five had shared with a gay/bi man. Compared with other women, these women have high rates of injecting drug use. If they have sex with men, these men are more likely to be gay or bisexual than are the male sexual partners of women moving in largely heterosexual milieux. For a case of so-called 'heterosexual' transmission of HIV to occur, neither person need be heterosexual.
Psychological distress and experience of sexual and physical assault among Australian prisoners
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-06-2011
DOI: 10.1002/CBM.816
Abstract: Prison populations are made up of in iduals from disadvantaged, often abusive backgrounds, who are more likely to suffer from psychological problems than the general community. This study aimed to determine associations between current psychological distress and history of having experienced sexual coercion and/or physical assault among prisoners in two Australian states (Queensland and New South Wales). We conducted a random s le survey of prisoners by computer-assisted telephone interview. Prisoners were asked about forced sexual encounters in or outside prison, and physical assault in prison. Psychological distress was estimated using a dichotomised score obtained from the Kessler 6-Item Psychological Distress Scale (K6), and a logistic regression analysis was employed to investigate associations. A total of 2426 prisoners were interviewed of 3055 prisoners invited to participate, a response rate of 79%. We categorised 236 men (12%) and 63 women (19%) as 'severely' psychologically distressed according to the K6, and 13% of the men and 60% of the women reported that they had been sexually coerced prior to imprisonment. Physical assault in prison was common, reported by 34% of the men and 24% of the women. On multivariate analysis, prisoners were more likely to be psychologically distressed if they had ever been threatened with sexual assault in prison or physically assaulted in prison. Sexual coercion outside prison was an important associate of psychological distress among men but not among women. As psychological distress and experiences of assault are closely statistically linked among male prisoners and both are very common among female prisoners, their screening for psychological distress should include efforts to find out about sexual and violent assaults against them both before and during imprisonment. Further, longitudinal research with prisoners is required to establish causal relationships.
Smoking and erectile dysfunction: findings from a representative sample of Australian men
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 04-2006
Heterosexual experience and recent heterosexual encounters among Australian adults: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1071/SH14105
Abstract: Background Current information about numbers of other-sex partners, experiences of different heterosexual behaviours and the recent heterosexual experiences among a representative s le of Australian adults is needed. It is not known whether these practices have changed between 2001–02 and 2012–13. Methods: Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative s le of 9963 men and 10 131 women aged 16–69 years from all states and territories. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Results: Men reported more sexual partners than women, although the lifetime number of heterosexual partners reported by women increased significantly between 2001–02 and 2012–13. In 2012–13, 14.7% of men and 8.6% of women reported two or more sexual partners in the last year. Reporting multiple partners was significantly associated with being younger, being bisexual, living in major cities, having a lower income, having a blue-collar occupation and not being married. The proportion of respondents reporting ever having had oral sex or anal intercourse increased significantly since the last survey. At the last heterosexual encounter, 91.9% of men and 66.2% of women had an orgasm, oral sex was reported in only approximately one in four encounters and anal intercourse was uncommon. Conclusion: There were increases between 2001–02 and 2012–13 in partner numbers among women and in the lifetime experience of oral and anal sex. The patterns of heterosexual experience in Australia are similar to those found in studies of representative s les in other countries.
Australian women's attitudes towards and understandings of the subdermal contraceptive implant: a qualitative study of never-users
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 03-03-2016
DOI: 10.1136/JFPRHC-2014-101132
Abstract: Few studies have explored Australian women's understandings of contraception. This study examined the attitudes towards, and understandings of, the subdermal contraceptive implant expressed by women living in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. As part of a larger qualitative study using in-depth, open-ended interviews in 2012-2013 with women aged 16-49 years who had ever used contraception ( The emergent themes were: satisfaction with current method weak personal opinions and ambivalence uncertainty due to specific concerns and strong negative reactions - fear and dislike. Although there were a few positive perceptions expressed by women who had never used the subdermal implant, for the majority of women the perception was predominantly negative. Women tended to form negative impressions from the stories of other women about the subdermal implant. Interventions to enhance evidence-informed awareness of the relative advantages and disadvantages of the implant - for ex le, improved access to supportive contraceptive counselling - need investigation in the Australian context. Avenues to improve women's perceived control over the device could also be usefully investigated.
Condoms for prisoners: no evidence that they increase sex in prison, but they increase safe sex: Table 1
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 07-01-2013
The Decline in Sexual Assaults in Men’s Prisons in New South Wales: A “systems” Approach
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 30-01-2011
Abstract: Male prison rape and sexual assaults remains a serious and sensitive issue in many countries. Human rights groups claim that sexual assaults among male prisoners have reached pandemic proportions and need to be stopped. Researchers for many years have studied the causes of male sexual assault in prison and offered numerous recommendations on its prevention. Few, however, have presented evidence for a decline in male prisoner sexual assaults and investigated the reasons for the decline. This article provides evidence from population-based surveys of a steady decrease in male prisoner sexual assaults in New South Wales (NSW) between 1996 and 2009. The authors conducted in-depth interviews with former and current inmates, and using a “systems” approach they discuss the complexity of sexual assaults in prison, incorporating a multiplicity of perspectives. In particular, they bring together different sources of data and discuss this in relation to changes in power structures and control in a modern prison, the attitudes of older and younger prisoners, the concept of “duty of care,” introduction of prison drug programs, and prisoner attitudes toward gender and sexuality. In anthropology, the term “system” is used widely for describing sociocultural phenomena of a given society in a holistic manner without reducing the complexity of a given community.
Experiences of sexual coercion in a representative sample of adults: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1071/SH14103
Abstract: Background It is important to have current reliable estimates of the prevalence, correlates and consequences of sexual coercion among a representative s le of Australian adults and to identify changes over time in prevalence and consequences. Methods: Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative s le of 20 094 Australian men and women aged 16–69 years. The participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Results: Sexual coercion (i.e. being forced or frightened into sexual activity) was reported by 4.2% of men and 22.4% of women. Sexual coercion when aged ≤16 years was reported by 2.0% of men and 11.5% of women. Correlates of sexual coercion were similar for men and women. Those who had been coerced reported greater psychosocial distress, were more likely to smoke, were more anxious about sex and more likely to have acquired a sexually transmissible infection. Few people had talked to others about their experiences of sexual coercion and fewer had talked to a professional. There were no significant differences between the First and Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships in whether men or women had experienced coercion, talked to anyone about this or talked to a counsellor or psychologist. Conclusion: Sexual coercion has detrimental effects on various aspects of people’s lives. It usually occurs at the ages at which people become sexually active. There is a need to reduce the incidence of sexual coercion, better identify experiences of sexual coercion, and provide accessible services to minimise the detrimental effects of sexual coercion.
Safer sex and condom use: findings from the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1071/SH14102
Abstract: Background It is important to have current and reliable estimates of the frequency and correlates of condom use among Australian adults. Methods: A representative s le of 20 094 men and women aged 16–69 years, from all states and territories, completed computer-assisted telephone interviews. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Results: Although most respondents had used a condom at some time in their lives, fewer than half of those who were sexually active in the year before being interviewed had used a condom in that year. Condom use in the last year was associated with youth, speaking a language other than English at home, bisexual identity, greater education, residence in major cities, lower income and having multiple sexual partners in the last year. One-quarter of respondents used a condom the last time they had vaginal intercourse and one-sixth of these were put on after genital contact. Condom use during most recent vaginal sex was associated with youth, lower income, having sex with a non-regular partner and not using another form of contraception. Condom use appears to have increased between 2001–02 and 2012–13. Conclusion: Consistent with other research, this study showed that condom use was strongly associated with partner type and use of other contraception. There may be a need to highlight among people with multiple sexual partners the fact that non-barrier methods of contraception do not offer protection against sexually transmissible infections. The finding that many condoms were applied after genital contact suggests a need to promote both use and correct use of condoms.
The Australian longitudinal study of health and relationships
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-07-2007
Enhancing use of emergency contraceptive pills: A systematic review of women’s attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and experiences in Australia
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 26-11-2019
DOI: 10.1080/07399332.2018.1526286
Abstract: Over a decade after emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) became available without a prescription, the rate of unintended pregnancies remains high in many settings. Understanding women's experiences and perceptions of ECPs may provide insights into this underutilization. We systematically searched databases to identify qualitative and quantitative primary studies about women's beliefs, knowledge, and experiences of ECPs in Australia. Findings demonstrate persistent misunderstandings around access, how ECPs work, and a moral discourse around acceptable versus unacceptable use. Addressing knowledge and the stigma around ECPs use is fundamental to increasing the use of this medically safe and effective strategy.
Critical commentary on RACP policy statement on infant male circumcision: A response
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2006
Demographic and psychosocial features of participants in bondage and discipline, sadomasochism or dominance and submission (bdsm)
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-2008
DOI: 10.1111/J.1743-6109.2008.00795.X
Abstract: People with sexual interests in bondage and discipline, "sadomasochism" or dominance and submission (BDSM) have been seen by many professionals as damaged or dangerous. To examine sexual behavior correlates of involvement in BDSM and test the hypothesis that BDSM is practiced by people with a history of sexual coercion, sexual difficulties, and/or psychological problems. In Australia in 2001-2002, a representative s le of 19,307 respondents aged 16-59 years was interviewed by telephone. Weighted data analysis used univariate logistic regression. Self-reported demographic and psychosocial factors sexual behavior and identity sexual difficulties. In total, 1.8% of sexually active people (2.2% of men, 1.3% of women) said they had been involved in BDSM in the previous year. This was more common among gay/lesbian and bisexual people. People who had engaged in BDSM were more likely to have experienced oral sex and/or anal sex, to have had more than one partner in the past year, to have had sex with someone other than their regular partner, and to have: taken part in phone sex, visited an Internet sex site, viewed an X-rated (pornographic) film or video, used a sex toy, had group sex, or taken part in manual stimulation of the anus, fisting or rimming. However, they were no more likely to have been coerced into sexual activity, and were not significantly more likely to be unhappy or anxious-indeed, men who had engaged in BDSM scored significantly lower on a scale of psychological distress than other men. Engagement in BDSM was not significantly related to any sexual difficulties. Our findings support the idea that BDSM is simply a sexual interest or subculture attractive to a minority, and for most participants not a pathological symptom of past abuse or difficulty with "normal" sex.
Understandings of risk among HIV seroconverters in Sydney
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-2004
Decriminalization of Sex Work Is Not Associated with More Men Paying for Sex: Results from the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-02-2017
National prevalence of urogenital pain and prostatitis-like symptoms in Australian men using the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptoms Index.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-01-2010
Seroconversion in context
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-2003
High prevalence of symptoms associated with ovarian cancer among Australian women.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-2011
Penile Implants among Prisoners—A Cause for Concern?
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 11-01-2013
Sexual practices and dental dam use among women prisoners - a mixed methods study
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/SH09138
Abstract: Background: Dental dams have been distributed to women prisoners for protection against HIV and other sexually transmissible infections (STIs) in some Canadian and Australian prisons for over a decade. However, we do not know whether they serve any useful public health purpose. Objective: To determine how dental dams are used in women’s prisons in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Method: Using quantitative and qualitative methods, we investigated women’s sexual practices with a focus on how dental dams are used in NSW prisons. Results: Although 71 of the 199 (36%) women reported having had sex with another inmate, with oral sex involved in most encounters, only eight (4%) had ever used a dental dam. The main sources of STI transmission risk among women prisoners were oral sex, manual sex and sharing dildos. Furthermore, sharing razors could also allow the transmission of blood-borne viruses, which could occur during sex in the presence of cuts or menstrual fluid. The high rates of hepatitis B and C among incarcerated women compound this risk. Conclusion: Dental dams are not widely used by women prisoners and we question their utility in women’s prisons. Oral sex is an important risk factor for acquisition of herpes simplex virus type 1, but most women in NSW prisons (89%) are already infected. Condoms and latex gloves may have more use. Condoms could be used as a barrier on shared dildos and sex toys, while latex gloves could be used to protect cut and grazed hands from vaginal and menstrual fluids.
Do condoms cause rape and mayhem? The long-term effects of condoms in New South Wales' prisons
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 10-11-2006
Associations between religiosity and sexuality in a representative sample of Australian adults
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-11-2007
DOI: 10.1007/S10508-006-9056-0
Abstract: Many studies have examined the influence on sexual attitudes and behavior of religious belief (i.e., religious denomination) or religiosity (e.g., attendance at services, subjective importance of religion). However, few studies have examined the combined effects of religion and religiosity on sexual attitudes and behavior. This study examined such effects in a representative s le of 19,307 Australians aged 16-59 years (response rate, 73.1%). The study compared members of four religious groups (Protestant, Catholic, Buddhist, Muslim) and two levels of frequency of attendance at religious service (less than monthly, at least monthly). Religious participants were compared to their non-religious peers in analyses adjusted for potential confounding by demographic variables. The outcomes were five sexual behaviors and five corresponding measures of sexual attitudes. The study revealed inconsistent patterns of association between religion/religiosity and a range of sexual behaviors and attitudes. In general, greater attendance at religious services was associated with more conservative patterns of behavior and attitudes. However, religious people who attended services infrequently were more similar to their non-religious peers than their more religious peers. The results of this study highlight the importance of considering not only religion or religiosity, but the intersection between these two variables.
Sexual and relationship satisfaction among heterosexual men and women: the importance of desired frequency of sex.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 28-02-2202
Masturbation, paying for sex, and other sexual activities: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1071/SH14116
Abstract: Background This study describes the prevalence of (solo) masturbation, paying for sex and a range of other sexual practices among Australians. Methods: A representative s le of 20 094 men and women aged 16–69 years (participation rate among eligible people, 66.2%) were recruited by landline and mobile phone random-digit dialling and computer-assisted telephone interviews in 2012–13. Results: Many respondents (men, 72% women, 42%) had masturbated in the past year. Half (51%) of the men and 24% of women had masturbated in the past 4 weeks. In the past year, more than two-fifths of respondents (men, 63% women, 20%) had looked at pornography in any medium. Approximately 15% of men and 21% of women had used a sex toy. Digital-anal stimulation with a partner was practised by 19% of men and 15% of women, and oral-anal stimulation by 7% of men and 4% of women. Sexual role playing or dressing up were engaged in by 7–8%. Online sex, swinging, group sex, BDSM (bondage and discipline, ‘sadomasochism’ or dominance and submission) and fisting (rectal or vaginal) were each engaged in by less than 3% of the s le. Seventeen per cent of men said they had ever paid for sex 2% had done so in the past year. Conclusion: Most of the solo practices studied were engaged in by more men than women, but women were more likely to have used a sex toy. Autoerotic activities are both substitutes for partnered sex and additional sources of pleasure for people with sexual partners.
Design and methods of the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1071/SH14115
Abstract: Background This paper describes the methods and process of the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships. Methods: A representative s le of the Australian population was contacted by landline and mobile phone modified random-digit dialling in 2012–13. Computer-assisted telephone interviews elicited sociodemographic and health details as well as sexual behaviour and attitudes. For analysis, the s le was weighted to reflect the study design and further weighted to reflect the location, age and sex distribution of the population at the 2011 Census. Results: Interviews were completed with 9963 men and 10 131 women aged 16–69 years from all states and territories. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2% (63.9% for landline men, 67.9% for landline women and 66.5% for mobile respondents). Accounting for the survey design and adjusting to match the 2011 Census resulted in a weighted s le of 20 094 people (10 056 men and 10 038 women). The s le was broadly representative of the Australian population, although as in most surveys, people with higher education and higher status occupations were over-represented. Data quality was high, with the great majority saying they were not at all or only slightly embarrassed by the questionnaire and almost all saying they were 90–100% honest in their answers. Conclusions: The combination of methods and design in the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships, together with the high participation rate, strongly suggests that the results of the study are robust and broadly representative of the Australian population.
Characteristics of heterosexual regular relationships among a representative sample of adults: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1071/SH14114
Abstract: Background The aim of this study was to describe important characteristics of Australian adults’ heterosexual regular sexual relationships and examine how these characteristics have changed since 2002. Methods: Computer-assisted landline and mobile telephone interviews were completed by a representative s le of 20 094 Australian residents aged 16–69 years. The participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Data were collected on respondents’ social and demographic characteristics, relationship status and duration, cohabitation status, partner’s age, contraception use, expectations about sexual exclusivity, sexual partners in the previous year, actual and ideal frequencies of sex and levels of physical pleasure and emotional satisfaction in their relationships. Results: Most sexually active respondents 89% 74% of all respondents, were in a heterosexual regular relationship. Most (97%) expected sexual exclusivity in their relationships, with 3% reporting extradyadic sex in the previous year. Respondents reported an average frequency of sex of 1.44 times per week, with most reporting very high levels of physical pleasure (men, 88% women, 76%) and emotional satisfaction (men, 86% women, 84%) in their relationships. Comparisons with data from the First Australian Study of Health and Relationships revealed that significantly more sexually active men were in a relationship in the current survey that respondents’ average frequency of sex was significantly lower and that women’s reports of extreme emotional satisfaction had risen. Otherwise, results were consistent with those of the first study. Conclusions: In general, results suggested that the characteristics of Australians’ heterosexual relationships changed little between 2002 and 2013. Despite a decline in respondents’ average weekly frequency of sex, the majority of respondents reported being in a highly satisfying, sexually exclusive relationship.
First vaginal intercourse and oral sex among a representative sample of Australian adults: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1071/SH14113
Abstract: Background Current information about the characteristics of Australian adults’ first vaginal intercourse and contraception or precautions used on that occasion is needed, as well as whether these characteristics have changed between 2001–02 and 2012–13. Methods: Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative s le of 20 094 men and women aged 16–69 years. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Respondents indicated their age at first vaginal intercourse and first oral sex. Those who reported vaginal intercourse were asked the age of their partner, their relationship to their partner, the duration of this relationship, and what contraception or precautions (if any) were used. Results: There was a significant decline in the median age of first vaginal intercourse for both men and women among those born between the 1940s and the 1960s, but no further decline since. There has also been a significant increase in the use of protection at first vaginal intercourse, from less than 20% of men and women in the 1950s to over 90% in the 2000s. For men and women, first vaginal sex before age 16 years was significantly associated with a greater number of lifetime and recent sexual partners, and a greater likelihood of having had a sexually transmitted infection. Conclusion: Given the earlier age at first vaginal intercourse, sex education should begin earlier so that all young people have information about contraception and disease prevention before they begin their sexual careers.
Stability and change in sexual practices among first-year Australian university students (1990-1999)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-2005
DOI: 10.1007/S10508-005-6281-X
Abstract: A questionnaire on sexual attitudes and behavior was administered to first-year students at Macquarie University in Sydney every year from 1990 to 1999 (N = 4295 aged 18-19 72.5% female). Responses to questions about experience of different sexual practices (tongue kissing, oral sex, and vaginal intercourse) with regular and casual partners were analyzed for trends. Over half of the students each year (on average 64% of the men, 57% of the women) had experience of oral sex or vaginal intercourse. More male than female students reported experience of each practice, especially with casual partners. Rates for female students increased significantly over the 10-year period for all practices except tongue kissing with a regular partner and vaginal sex with a casual partner rates for male students were apparently steady. Results are consistent with evidence from other sources of an increase in the acceptability of oral sex (both fellatio and cunnilingus) in recent decades and of increasing similarity between young men's and women's reports of sexual experience.
Change and stasis in sexual health and relationships: comparisons between the First and Second Australian Studies of Health and Relationships.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1071/SH14112
Romantic Jealousy: A Test of Social Cognitive and Evolutionary Models in A Population-Representative Sample of Adults
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 15-05-2019
DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2019.1613482
Abstract: Whereas sexually dimorphic evolutionary models argue for clear sex differences in responses to jealousy-evoking scenarios, social cognitive models emphasize the importance of other factors. This paper explores variables associated with responses to a commonly-used jealousy-evoking scenario in a population-representative s le. Data from 8,386 Australian men and women aged 16-69 were weighted to match the population. The results provided some support for evolutionary models among heterosexual respondents, but findings contrary to evolutionary models were found among non-heterosexual respondents. Support for social cognitive models was provided by the identification of six variables that had significant independent multivariate associations with jealousy: sex, age, education, lifetime number of partners, relationship status, and attitudes toward infidelity. The results suggest that although men and women may tend to respond differently to sexual or emotional infidelity scenarios, the anticipated experience of jealousy in each context is strongly influenced by biographical and cultural factors.
Circumcision in Australia: further evidence on its effects on sexual health and wellbeing.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2010
DOI: 10.1111/J.1753-6405.2010.00501.X
Abstract: To report on the prevalence and demographic variation in circumcision in Australia and examine sexual health outcomes in comparison with earlier research. A representative household s le of 4,290 Australian men aged 16-64 years completed a computer-assisted telephone interview including questions on circumcision status, demographic variables, reported lifetime experience of selected sexually transmissible infections (STIs), experience of sexual difficulties in the previous 12 months, masturbation, and sexual practices at last heterosexual encounter. More than half the men (58%) were circumcised. Circumcision was less common (33%) among men under 30 and more common (66%) among those born in Australia. After adjustment for age and number of partners, circumcision was unrelated to STI history except for non-specific urethritis (higher among circumcised men, OR=2.11, p<0.001) and penile candidiasis (lower among circumcised men, OR=0.49, p<0.001). Circumcision was unrelated to any of the sexual difficulties we asked about (after adjusting for age) except that circumcised men were somewhat less likely to have worried during sex about whether their bodies looked unattractive (OR=0.77, p=0.04). No association between lack of circumcision and erection difficulties was detected. After correction for age, circumcised men were somewhat more likely to have masturbated alone in the previous 12 months (OR=1.20, p=0.02). Circumcision appears to have minimal protective effects on sexual health in Australia.
Prevalence and correlates of three types of pelvic pain in a nationally representative sample of Australian Men
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 05-2008
DOI: 10.1111/J.1743-6109.2007.00784.X
Abstract: Recent international prevalence studies of pelvic pain in men have estimates ranging between 2% and 10%. These studies conclude that it is an important international health problem. The aims of this study were to establish the first population-based study of pelvic pain in Australian men, and identify correlates with men's sexual and reproductive histories and other health conditions. A representative household s le of 4,290 Australian men aged 16-64 years completed a computer-assisted telephone interview. They were asked about their experiences of pain in the pelvic region during the past 12 months. Prevalence of correlates of pain associated with sexual intercourse, pain associated with urination, and pelvic pain not associated with intercourse or urination. Five percent of men reported pain during urination, 5% reported pain related to sexual intercourse, and 12% of men reported other chronic pelvic pain. There was little overlap in reporting any of the three types of pelvic pain, with 18% of men reporting some form of pelvic pain. Men reporting any of the pain conditions were significantly more likely than other men to report a sexual experience when they had felt forced or frightened. Men reporting pain during intercourse and/or chronic pelvic pain were significantly more likely than other men to report same sex experience. All three groups of men with pelvic pain were more likely than other men to report some form of sexual difficulties. A report of ever receiving a diagnosis of depression or a report of anxiety was significantly associated with all forms of pelvic pain. More than one man in six report having some form of pelvic pain in the past 12 months. It is likely that men would benefit from a discussion about possible symptoms during consultations with their physicians.
Heterosexual AIDS and screwy logic: A reply to schüklenk, mertz and richters
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-1995
DOI: 10.1007/BF02197684
Unwanted Sex Due to Intoxication among Australians Aged 16–69 Years
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 14-10-2021
Moral Standards
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-1995
DOI: 10.1007/BF02197683
Attitudes towards sex: a comparison of prisoners and the general community
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2011
DOI: 10.1071/SH10113
Abstract: Background National population surveys of attitudes towards sexual issues typically exclude prisoners and little is known about their attitudes compared with the community. Methods: Using computer-assisted telephone interviews, we compared a representative s le of 2289 prisoners (men = 1960, women = 329), aged 18–59 years, from two Australian states against a national community s le of 6755 participants (men = 3333, women = 3421). Results: Overall, prisoners were slightly more conservative in their attitudes towards sex than the community. They were more likely than the community to agree with the statement that abortion is wrong (men: adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.3, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.8–3.9 women: AOR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.2–2.4) and that male homosexuality is wrong (men: AOR = 2.6, 95% CI: 2.2–3.1 women: AOR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.2–2.3) these differences were more pronounced for men than women. The attitudes of prisoners and the community varied with age. Attitudinal differences between prisoners and the community tended to be larger than the differences between women and men (agree that abortion is wrong: prisoners, AOR = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.4–0.7 community, AOR = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.7–0.9 agree that male homosexuality is wrong: prisoners, AOR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.3–0.5 community, AOR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.5–0.7). Conclusion: Prisoners have either similar or less accepting attitudes towards sex than the general population. These attitudes contrast with the higher engagement in risk behaviours reported by prisoners.
Sexual identity, sexual attraction and sexual experience: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1071/SH14117
Abstract: Background Behavioural and other aspects of sexuality are not always consistent. This study describes the prevalence and overlap of same-sex and other-sex attraction and experience and of different sexual identities in Australia. Methods: Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative s le of 20 094 men and women aged 16–69 years recruited by landline and mobile phone random-digit dialling with a response rate (participation rate among eligible people) of 66.2%. Respondents were asked about their sexual identity (‘Do you think of yourself as’ heterosexual/straight, homosexual/gay, bisexual, etc.) and the sex of people with whom they had ever had sexual contact and to whom they had felt sexually attracted. Results: Men and women had different patterns of sexual identity. Although the majority of people identified as heterosexual (97% men, 96% women), women were more likely than men to identify as bisexual. Women were less likely than men to report exclusively other-sex or same-sex attraction and experience 9% of men and 19% of women had some history of same-sex attraction and/or experience. Sexual attraction and experience did not necessarily correspond. Homosexual/gay identity was more common among men with tertiary education and living in cities and less common among men with blue-collar jobs. Many gay men (53%) and lesbians (76%) had some experience with an other-sex partner. More women identified as lesbian or bisexual than in 2001–02. Similarly, more women reported same-sex experience and same-sex attraction. Conclusion: In Australia, men are more likely than women to report exclusive same-sex attraction and experience, although women are more likely than men to report any non-heterosexual identity, experience and attraction. Whether this is a feature of the plasticity of female sexuality or due to lesser stigma than for men is unknown.
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