Abstract
New Zealand’s bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates are considered the worst in the OECD. Policy within New
Zealand (NZ), as in many Western countries, often takes a particularly individualistic approach to reducing STI rates, but
this has proved unsuccessful. This paper presents a thematic analysis of interview data from 32 key informants working in
sexual health in NZ, talking about sexual health problems and solutions. Focusing typically on structural explanations, informants
identified a large gap between ‘best practice’ and actual practice in NZ. They referred to the interaction between a lack
of government prioritisation and a ‘sexually conservative’ culture in New Zealand as lying at the heart of this. Informants
advocated for a long-term programme of government leadership and a cultural ‘shift’ in approaches to, and research on, sexual
health. To do so, key informants consistently constructed an account of ‘competing rationalities’—or the notion that policy
makers, and those that work in the ‘frontline’ of sexual health are operating within two opposing paradigms, and that the
‘culture of conservatism’ they described was limiting dialogue between the two ‘sides’.
Zealand (NZ), as in many Western countries, often takes a particularly individualistic approach to reducing STI rates, but
this has proved unsuccessful. This paper presents a thematic analysis of interview data from 32 key informants working in
sexual health in NZ, talking about sexual health problems and solutions. Focusing typically on structural explanations, informants
identified a large gap between ‘best practice’ and actual practice in NZ. They referred to the interaction between a lack
of government prioritisation and a ‘sexually conservative’ culture in New Zealand as lying at the heart of this. Informants
advocated for a long-term programme of government leadership and a cultural ‘shift’ in approaches to, and research on, sexual
health. To do so, key informants consistently constructed an account of ‘competing rationalities’—or the notion that policy
makers, and those that work in the ‘frontline’ of sexual health are operating within two opposing paradigms, and that the
‘culture of conservatism’ they described was limiting dialogue between the two ‘sides’.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-10
- DOI 10.1007/s13178-012-0089-y
- Authors
- Gareth Terry, Department of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
- Virginia Braun, Department of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
- Panteá Farvid, Department of Psychology, AUT University, AUT North Shore Campus, Private Bag 92006, Auckland, 1142 New Zealand
- Journal Sexuality Research and Social Policy
- Online ISSN 1553-6610
- Print ISSN 1868-9884