Lay summary
This research is to investigate the perceptions of sexual health amongst Niuean adolescent females who are born in NZ. There is increasing evidence which shows that Pacific teenagers engage in sexual activity as young as the age of 14 years. In addition, statistics show that Pacific females have high rates of sexually transmitted infections and teenage pregnancy. Statistics such as that from the Youth 2007 survey also show that many Pacific teenagers do not access health care or are not sure of where to access services such as sexual health services. The Ministry of Health has reported that the discussion of sexual health is considered 'taboo' in the Pacific Island culture. In this case, if many Pacific teenagers are engaging in sexual health at an early age and have high rates of sexually transmitted infections and teenage pregnancy, what are their perceptions and knowledge of this issue/topic? This research will aim to look at these young people's perceptions, with a specific emphasis on Niuean women due to the diversity within the Pacific Island cultures.