Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women’s experiences of contraception use for fertility control.

Primary Supervisor: Dr Alex Hawkey (opens in a new window)

The ability for a woman to choose whether and when to have children is an essential human right endorsed by international health governing bodies, such as the World Health Organisation. Women’s access to reliable information and to a preferred method of contraception, free from coercion, discrimination, or violence, is fundamental to gender equality and facilitates women’s full participation in society.

In Western contexts, such as Australia, Canada, and the U.K., a range of effective contraceptive methods are available at a low cost through government subsidy programs. Despite this, inequalities in contraceptive use exist amongst women from disadvantaged ethnic or racial groups, including women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

However, there is an absence of research that examines in-depth experiences of contraceptive side-effects amongst CALD women. Much of the past research surrounding CALD women’s contraception use utilises large population based survey studies, with only a minority of research using qualitative methods to examine women’s subjective experiences. There is a need for innovative qualitative methodologies that facilitate CALD women communicating their subjective experiences in relation to contraception in creative and empowering ways.

Utilising a critical health psychology lens, opportunities exist for PhD projects within the scope of CALD women’s fertility and fertility control. Interested individuals may undertake a PhD exploring in a particular CALD group they may be interested in or have a connection to, or across different cultural contexts. To explore broader constructions and experiences of fertility and fertility control, a mixed-method qualitative PhD study design would be preferred, using techniques such as interviews, focus groups, body mapping and/or photovoice.

Some knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies would be preferred.