Influence of Traditional Vietnamese Culture on the Utilization of Mainstream Health Services for Sexual Health Issues by Second-Generation Vietnamese Australian Young Women

The current discussion of the impact of traditional Vietnamese culture on young Vietnamese Australian women's uptake of mainstream health services for sexual health matters is part of a larger qualitative study exploring the factors shaping the sexual behavior of these women. The researchers employed a grounded theory methodology involving in-depth interviews with 15 Vietnamese Australian young women ages 18 to 25 residing in Victoria, Australia.

"The findings demonstrated that the ethnicity of the general practitioner had a clear impact on the women utilizing the health service," the authors wrote. The young women perceived that a Vietnamese doctor would have the same traditional views of sex held by their parents' generation. Therefore, they rationalized that because of cultural mores, optimum sexual health care could only be accessed by consulting a non-Vietnamese professional.

"It is evident from the present study that cultural influences can impact on the sexual health of young people from culturally diverse backgrounds, and in Australia's multicultural society, provision of sexual health services must acknowledge the specific needs of ethnically diverse young people," the authors concluded.

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