The transformative potential of young motherhood for disadvantaged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in Townsville, Australia.

OBJECTIVE: To explore attitudes to pregnancy and parenthood among a group of Indigenous young people in Townsville, Australia. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Mixed methods and a cross-sectional design involving Indigenous women from a Young Mums Group designing the research instruments and acting as peer interviewers. Data were collected in 2004 from young Indigenous people who had never been pregnant (171 students at three high schools and 15 people at a homeless youth shelter) using a computer-assisted self-administered survey; from 59 of this group who also participated in single sex focus group discussions; and from 10 pregnant and parenting young women in individual semi-structured interviews. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Self-reported attitudes and behaviour about aspirations, pregnancy and parenthood. RESULTS: Only eight of 186 young Indigenous people who had never been pregnant reported wanting to have a child as a teenager. Large proportions of this group of 186 reported idealised views about pregnancy, particularly young men, with 50.5% reporting that being a parent would always be enjoyable, and 62.6% reporting that being a mother or a father would not change their lives. Idealised views were associated with earlier sexual initiation (P = 0.001). Issues identified in the narratives of young mothers related to difficult backgrounds, pregnancy "just happening" to them, and the transformative impact of having a child on their lives and aspirations. CONCLUSIONS: Accurate parenting information may be necessary to address unrealistic views about parenting among Indigenous young people. Young Indigenous parents often come from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds, and becoming a parent may be the impetus for positive change.

Attitudes and behaviours of young Indigenous people in Townsville concerning relationships, sex and contraception: the "U Mob Yarn Up" project.

OBJECTIVE: To gain some understanding of the attitudes and behaviours of Indigenous young people in Townsville concerning relationships, contraception and safe sex. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study using a computer-assisted self-administered survey and single-sex focus group discussions designed by a Young Mums' Group operating on participatory action principles and acting as peer interviewers. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: 171 Indigenous students in Years 9-11 at three high schools and 15 residents of a homeless youth shelter in Townsville, Queensland, 27 April - 8 December 2004. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported attitudes and behaviour about relationships, sexual intercourse and contraception. RESULTS: 84/183 participants (45.9%) reported past sexual intercourse, with 56.1% commencing intercourse at age 13-14 years. The likelihood of having had sex increased with being male (P=0.001), increasing age, increased perceived sexual activity of peer group (both P=0.000), and drinking alcohol at least weekly (P=0.015). Young women were more likely to report unwanted sexual touching (P=0.031), and less likely to report enjoying sexual intercourse (P=0.001). The main qualitative themes concerned females' reputations, coercion, and denial of female desire. Only 49/80 participants (61.3%) reported always using condoms. The main reasons for not using contraception were "just not thinking about it", shame, and problems with access. Despite having reasonable knowledge about contraception, most lacked the confidence and negotiation skills to communicate with partners about condom use. CONCLUSIONS: Like teenagers elsewhere, Indigenous teenagers in Townsville are becoming sexually active at a young age, and not practising safe sex reliably. The need to protect their reputations puts young women at risk by not being prepared for safe sex by carrying condoms.