- Title
- When no-one wants to talk: personal reflections on engaging rural communities in a study about sexuality transmitted infections
- Creator
- Fisher, Karin
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10th National Rural Health Conference: Rural Health: The Place To Be. Proceedings of the 10th National Rural Health Conference (Cairns, Qld 17-20 May, 2009)
- Relation
- http://10thnrhc.ruralhealth.org.au/program/?IntCatId=4
- Publisher
- National Rural Health Alliance
- Resource Type
- conference paper
- Date
- 2009
- Description
- This paper shares some insights gained from undertaking a mixed methods study examining sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in a rural community. The study specifically aimed to gain an understanding of syphilis notifications in relation to rurality and disadvantage as well as how an individual’s construction of rurality shaped the way in which he or she accessed community-based health services for STIs. In this paper, I outline key concepts perceived to be central to consultation identified from the qualitative component of the study. In-depth interviews were conducted with 24 Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal participants, 18 females and 6 males, aged between 19 and 65 years. Participants were recruited from small rural communities in NSW via multiple media approaches (internet, radio and print media), snowballing, direct contact and word of mouth. I will use my experiences of undertaking this study to illustrate the negative and positive aspects of talking to rural community members about a sensitive topic like STIs. Challenges highlight issues of stigma, context, reluctance to participate, and issues of trust. Issues such as gender, cultural aspects and social contexts, like being known by the community, can encourage and discourage individuals from participating in rural community-based research. On a personal level, one challenge was the experience of being a health professional who had worked in sexual health, undertaking a research study. Being desensitised to sexual health meant that I needed to be mindful of a range of different responses from community members. The positive aspects included gaining insight and conceptual understandings from differing perspectives of the community. Another positive was the willingness of community members to trust me and share their personal stories. The complexities associated with undertaking a study with hidden and difficult to reach populations highlight my reflections of the issues that face researchers and practitioners when eliciting information from rural communities. My discussion of these issues reflects the challenging and rewarding aspects of talking to community members, in addition to the importance of representing their story accurately. By reflecting on this research experience and drawing insights, the paper contributes to the discussion about developing and managing effective ways to engage with rural communities, especially in relation to sensitive topics.
- Subject
- sexually transmitted infections; rural communities; syphilis; community engagement
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/920056
- Identifier
- uon:9060
- Identifier
- ISBN:9781921219153
- Identifier
- ISSN:1445-3363
- Language
- eng
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