Experience of Sexual Healthcare by Māori and Non-Māori Young People: An Online Survey of 15–24 Year Olds in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Abstract

Objectives

To understand young people’s expectations of, and experience with sexual healthcare in New Zealand.

Methods

Online survey of 15–24 year olds in a region with high socioeconomic deprivation, with selected outcomes compared for Māori and Europeans.

Results

Of 500 respondents, 60% had received sexual healthcare (74.3% in general practice) and 81% were happy with care received. Fewer Māori and people not in education, employment, or training reported positive experiences of sexual healthcare on arrival and in the consultation.

Conclusions

Findings highlight the need for equitable delivery of youth-friendly, culturally safe, sexual and reproductive healthcare in general practice settings.

Keywords:

• General practice
• indigenous Māori
• patient satisfaction
• sexual healthcare
• survey
• young people

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Hawkes Bay Medical Research Foundation (grant-in-aid 2019) and a University of Otago Dean’s grant (grant-in-aid, 2019). The funding bodies played no part in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing of the report or decision to submit the manuscript for publication. We acknowledge the young people who took part in focus groups during survey development and those who completed a survey. We thank staff at Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga for their support of the survey development and organization of focus group participants.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Data availability statement

Data are not publicly available. Due to the nature of this research, participants of this study were not asked for permission for their data to be shared publicly, so supporting data are not available.