Sex in Australia: Reflections and recommendations for future research

doi:10.1111/j.1467-842X.2003.tb00816.x

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Wiley InterScience

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health

Volume 27 Issue 2, Pages 251 - 256

Published Online: 25 Sep 2007

The official journal of the Public Health Association of Australia

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Sex in Australia: Reflections and recommendations for future research

Anthony M.A. Smith ¹ ^, ⁵ , Chris E. Rissel ² , Juliet Richters ³ , Andrew E. Grulich ⁴ Richard O. de Visser ⁵

¹ Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, Victoria ² Health Promotion Unit, Central Sydney Area Health Service, and Australian Centre for Health Promotion, University of Sydney, New South Wales ³ National Centre in HIV Social Research, University of New South Wales ⁴ National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, University of New South Wales ⁵ Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University

Correspondence to ⁶ Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, 215 Franklin Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000. Fax: (03) 9285 5220; e-mail: anthony.smith@latrobe.edu.au

ABSTRACT

Abstract

Objective To review the content, method and process of the Australian Study of Health and Relationships (ASHR).

Results : ASHR achieved a large sample, a high response rate and documented the sexual life histories and current sexual health-related knowledge, attitudes and practices of the Australian population aged 16–59. Its cross-sectional nature limited our ability to partition observed variation between age and time despite clear evidence of both age-related and cohort-related changes in sexual practice. Similarly, its reliance on a sample of individuals reporting on their sexual experiences rather than a sample of sexual relationships or encounters and their participants limits our ability to understand the dynamics of those relationships and encounters. Finally, our understanding of sexuality in Australia could have been improved through qualitative studies with a subsample of ASHR participants.

Conclusion ASHR represents a significant contribution to our understanding of sexual health-related knowledge, attitudes and practices in Australia.

DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER (DOI)

10.1111/j.1467-842X.2003.tb00816.x About DOI