523 RESEARCH AFP VOL.45, NO.7, JULY 2016 Contraceptive choices and sexual health of Japanese women living in Australia: A brief report from a qualitative study Kumiyo Inoue, Marguerite Kelly, Deborah Bateson, Alison Rutherford, Mary Stewart, Juliet Richters ncreasing attention has been directed towards the lack of sexual and reproductive health knowledge of international students, 1–3 and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds living in Australia. 4,5 No research has focused specifically on Japanese women living in Australia with regard to sexual health, contraceptive practices, sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and fertility. Australia has the third largest population of Japanese residents in the world, and more than 30,000 Japanese people live in Sydney. 6 This estimate is conservative, given that temporary visa holders, such as students studying in Australia for shorter than three months, are not included. Denman reports that, on the basis of Australian and Japanese figures, more than 63% of Japanese migrants are women. 7 It is therefore probable that there are more than 18,000 Japanese women living in Sydney alone. In a recent biannual national survey on sexual health in Japan, only 36% of sexually active men and women aged 16–49 years responded that they always used contraceptives, and approximately 19% responded that they sometimes used them. Among users, the most commonly used contraceptive methods were the condom (84%) followed by withdrawal (15%). Other methods reported were the Ogino method (a form of the rhythm method widely used in Japan; 4%), combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP; 4%) and intrauterine devices (IUDs; 1%). 8 After more than 35 years of debate, the low-dose COCP was finally approved for use in Japan in 1999 – 38 years after it started being used in Australia. 9,10 Multiple concerns about the possible negative effects of the COCP delayed its approval by the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare. 9 These included concerns that the COCP could lead to possible adverse cardiovascular effects, further decline in the birth rate, deterioration of sexual morality, and spread of STIs. It has been argued that the social norms of Japanese society create barriers to accessing the COCP 11 even though there is public awareness that condoms are less effective in preventing pregnancy. One of the well-documented advantages of condoms are their effectiveness in preventing STIs, but it is questionable whether I Background There is a lack of research focused specifically on the contraceptive and sexual health practices of Japanese women living in Australia. Objective This paper reports findings from a cohort of migrant Japanese women who participated in a study of Australian women’s understanding and experience of contraceptives. Method In-depth, open-ended interviews were conducted between August 2012 and June 2013 in New South Wales. Audio- recorded interviews of seven Japanese women were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Results The four prominent themes were the condom and withdrawal methods, varying attitudes to contraceptive practices, discussing contraception and sexual issues with general practitioners (GPs), and the unspoken topic of sexually transmissible infections (STIs). Discussion Japanese migrants tend to choose the condom and withdrawal methods, which they perceive to be ‘standard practice’ in Japan. A greater understanding by Australian GPs of Japanese women’s attitudes to contraception and sexual health issues could enhance the sexual health of Japanese women. © The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners 2016