At the dawn of the new millennium, migration has been identified as a crucial element in the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic yet few studies have been carried out into the specific ways in which migration is able to fuel the epidemic. Since the beginning of the epidemic in the 1980s we have witnessed increasing mobility of people throughout the world, with migration being a major factor in the ongoing transmission of HIV in particular regions of the world.
This study looks at the particular of migration that exists between New Zealand and Australia and examines the effects that this has had on a group of Maori gay men and transsexuals during the time of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In particular, the study examines the effects that trans-Tasman migration has on identity and sexual practice and the implications that this has for HIV prevention among the Maori gay and transsexual communities of both countries.
In order to examine the relationship between trans-Tasman migration, identity and behaviour, in-depth interviews were conducted with two groups of Maori gay man and transsexuals. One group resided permanently in Sydney, Australia (n=13) and the other group had returned to live in New Zealand after having lived in Sydney for at least one year (n=11). During the interviews respondents were invited to talk about their cultural and sexual identity, their upbringing, their reasons for migrating to Sydney and their sexual practice in Sydney.
Analysis of the interviews showed that there were distinct differences in the two groups of respondents. While the Sydney gay community offered a haven for Maori migrants from New Zealand, this was sometimes at the expense of a compromised sense of cultural identity as well as exposure to racism, violence and prejudice from living in a predominantly white middle class society. In contrast, those who had returned to live in New Zealand had a stronger sense of their cultural identity than those who resided long-term in Sydney as well as ongoing access to a cultural context which reaffirmed and supported their sense of Maori identity. At the same time, those who lived in Sydney were more likely to report risk behaviour associated with the transmission of HIV than did those who lived in New Zealand.
This project concludes that Maori gay men and transsexuals who have a strong sense of their cultural identity may be at a lower risk of HIV infection than those who do not. These findings have significant implications for the design and implementation of HIV prevention programmes both in New Zealand and in Sydney. Such programmes need to acknowledge the cultural diversity of the gay community and must provide the means whereby community members, especially those from minority groups, may have ongoing access to cultural structures which support and reaffirm their sexual as well as their cultural identity.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/217608 |
| Date | January 2000 |
| Creators | Aspin, S.C. (Stanley Clive), n/a |
| Publisher | University of Otago. Wellington School of Medicine & Health Sciences |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://policy01.otago.ac.nz/policies/FMPro?-db=policies.fm&-format=viewpolicy.html&-lay=viewpolicy&-sortfield=Title&Type=Academic&-recid=33025&-find), Copyright S.C. (Stanley Clive) Aspin |
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