Contraceptive choices and sexual health of Japanese women living in Australia: A brief report from a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of research focused specifically on the contraceptive and sexual health practices of Japanese women living in Australia.

OBJECTIVE

This paper reports findings from a cohort of migrant Japanese women who participated in a study of Australian women's understanding and experience of contraceptives.

METHODS

In-depth, open-ended interviews were conducted between August 2012 and June 2013 in New South Wales. Audio-recorded interviews of seven Japanese women were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically.

RESULTS

The four prominent themes were the condom and withdrawal methods, varying attitudes to contraceptive practices, discussing contraception and sexual issues with general practitioners (GPs), and the unspoken topic of sexually transmissible infections (STIs).

DISCUSSION: Japanese migrants tend to choose the condom and withdrawal methods, which they perceive to be 'standard practice' in Japan. A greater understanding by Australian GPs of Japanese women's attitudes to contraception and sexual health issues could enhance the sexual health of Japanese women.