Social Change, Migration and Sexual Health: Chilean Women in Chile and Australia
Author(s)
Dawson, Maria Teresa; Gifford, Sandra Margaret
Abstract
Cultural beliefs, norms and values regarding sexuality and gender roles forge people’s sexual behaviour and understanding of sexual health risk. Acknowledging a person’s cultural background is a key challenge for the promotion of sexual health programs and strategies for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV/ AIDS. This challenge acquires larger dimensions when health promotion programs are directed towards migrant communities. This article examines narratives about past and present life experiences of Chilean women living in Australia and Chilean women in Chile. Very few sexual health policies and strategies in Australia take into account the impact that the social and cultural background of migrants, social changes identity of migrants in the new country. We propose that these cultural constructs are key in the formulation of migrants’ beliefs and attitudes towards sexuality and sexual health. We suggest that there is a need to build effective and culturally appropriate sexual health promotion and prevention strategies that build upon the social and cultural background and the present and past life experiences of migrant women and men.
