Young African migrants in Australia lack awareness of sexual health services and face cultural stigma barriers, requiring targeted culturally sensitive outreach and youth-friendly services with strong confidentiality assurances to improve engagement.
None of the study participants were aware of sexual health services available in Australia.
General practitioners were the most commonly known healthcare providers among participants, but many avoided seeking SRH care from them due to confidentiality concerns.
Cultural stigma associated with sexual health was identified as a major barrier to help-seeking and health service engagement among young African migrants.
Participants identified specific attributes of youth-friendly SRH care they considered important for engagement, including provider characteristics and cultural considerations.
Lack of visibility and information about existing sexual health services was identified as a distinct theme affecting service use among young African migrants.
The study used a qualitative participatory workshop methodology with a sample of 30 young African migrants in Melbourne.
This research explored why young African migrants in Australia (aged 18-24) are not using sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. Researchers held three workshops in Melbourne in 2019 with 30 young people from African backgrounds and analyzed what participants shared about their experiences and preferences. Strikingly, not a single participant knew that dedicated sexual health services existed in Australia, meaning the first barrier is simply not knowing where to go for help. The study found two other major barriers beyond lack of awareness: cultural stigma around discussing or seeking help for sexual health, and concerns about privacy. Even when participants knew about general practitioners (family doctors), many avoided discussing sexual health with them because they worried their personal information might not stay confidential — a concern that may be heightened in close-knit communities where people fear being recognized or judged. Participants described wanting services staffed by younger providers, with guaranteed confidentiality, and with the option to choose a provider of a specific gender. This research suggests that simply having sexual health services available is not enough — young African migrants need targeted outreach in culturally appropriate formats to even know the services exist. It also suggests that services need to be redesigned with cultural sensitivity in mind, addressing stigma and building trust around confidentiality, in order to be genuinely accessible to this growing population in Australia. The findings point to a gap between available services and the communities that need them most.
Maheen H, Damabi N, Lassi Z. (2025). Improving engagement with sexual and reproductive health services among young African migrants in Australia.. Sexual health. https://doi.org/10.1071/SH24186