Aboriginal Men’s Business: A Literature Review of Factors Affecting Aboriginal Men Accessing Sexual Health Services

Abstract

Introduction: Aboriginal men are relatively young, with a median age of 22 years, nearly half that of their non-Aboriginal counterparts. Aboriginal men also have the highest mortality rates and have the lowest life expectancy. Sexually Transmissible Infection (STI) rates are extremely overrepresented in lower socio-economic groups, including minority populations. STI rates among Aboriginal communities are significantly higher when compared to the non-Aboriginal population. Aims: In the context of multiple factors impinging on the sexual health of Aboriginal men, we sought to conduct a comprehensive review of the literature for the purpose of developing a framework through which needs and actions to improve sexual health could be identified and understood. Methods: A targeted, comprehensive search strategy was developed using keywords and synonyms related to the aims of the project. The search included scholarly peer reviewed academic literature available and grey literature from the Wollongong Hospital and the NSW Health library. The search was made more efficient by entering search terms into the Deakin University EBSCOhost search engine, and Google Scholar was searched separately. Grey literature searching was conducted with Clinical Information Access Portal (CIAP), Informit and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Results: The search produced a total number of 385 papers from peer reviewed publications and grey literature. A total of 95 duplicates were removed, leaving 290 papers. After incorporating the screening process, exclusion and inclusion criteria, the total number of articles selected for review was 31 articles. Discussion: The thematic analysis identified that cultural considerations of Aboriginal ‘Men’s business’ involving traditional lifestyle, cultural practices and the impact of colonisation were only briefly covered in the included studies. The findings of the literature review indicated that Aboriginal men’s health is deeply influenced by their socio-economic status and cultural wellbeing. This review provided limited findings relating to service provision support for Aboriginal men. Conclusion: Overall, this review presented several concerning factors and evidence of the difficulties for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men accessing sexual health services. Literature identified the long-standing health statistics and deterioration of health and social and emotional wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men. While both mainstream health and non-government services are offering limited provision of culturally safe and appropriate healthcare pathways.