Migrant and Refugee Youth’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: A Gender Comparison of Knowledge, Behaviour, and Experiences

Young adulthood is a crucial life stage, during which major sexual and reproductive health (SRH) development occurs, and gender norms are often entrenched. Australian migrant and refugee youth (MRY) have particular SRH experiences and vulnerabilities such as under-use of services, higher rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unplanned pregnancy, and experiences of community and family stigma. There is limited research on how gender intersects with ethnicity, migrant status and age to inform understandings and realisation of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Explorations of how gender shapes SRHR have typically been unilateral, focusing on one gender: there is a significant gap in scholarship investigating gender differences among MRY experiences of SRHR. This study will fill this gap, contributing to conceptual knowledge about the experience of SRHR among migrant and refugee youth. This cross-sectional study collected data from 107 MRY aged 15–27 years, living in Western Sydney, Australia. An online survey – including multiple-choice, Likert-scale, and open-text questions – examining behaviour, knowledge, attitudes, service utilisation and rights awareness was used. Key measures included knowledge of various contraceptives and STIs; vaccination rates; attitudes towards SRH taboos; and service use. Participants were recruited using snowball and purposive sampling, incorporating recruitment via social media, community and social service organisations, and word of mouth. Univariate descriptive analysis and bivariate gender analysis were conducted using IBM SPSS. Most participants were female (69%). Non-consensual experiences were gendered: there was a significant association between gender and being pressured into sex (p = < 0.001), with 45% of females experiencing pressure compared with 9% of males, and males significantly more comfortable discussing consent with partners than females (p =.011). Knowledge outcomes were, however, poorer among males, who had significantly lower contraceptive awareness (p =.023), and lower STI awareness. Service access was conspicuously low, with three quarters of participants unaware of local SRH services. Male participants were significantly more likely to select not applicable when asked which services they had used, indicating non-use. In attitudes towards key SRH taboos, females were consistently more liberal than males. Male and female MRY have gender-specific SRHR vulnerabilities. Issues of consent disproportionately impact young women, while males have lower service access and SRH knowledge. Future policy development must consider shared experiences – engaging youth with services – and gender-specific needs – targeting young men in SRH education, addressing continued consent issues.