Moving Forward Together in Aboriginal Women's Health: - Theses ...

Moving Forward TogetherJanet Kellyand programs, and de-identified stories and opinions relayed by education andhealth staff. While this is not ideal, it is how this Collaboration Areadeveloped.Adapted research plan - collaboration between the Aboriginal OutreachHealth Service and local high schoolRather than focusing directly on young Aboriginal women’s health and wellbeingas a subject, this Collaboration Area explores the process of health andeducation staff/co-researchers sharing knowledge with each other, withsecondary input of young Aboriginal women, toward making health and wellbeingprograms more accessible and appropriate for young Aboriginal women.Therefore, this research complements, but by no means replaces, researchwhich directly involves young women as key participants such as the study bySarah Larkins who worked directly with teenage Indigenous women inTownsville regarding relationships and pregnancy (Larkins 2007). Thereforethis Collaboration Area followed the pattern of what often happens whenhealth and education services come together to provide joint health care andeducation programs. Health and education professionals meet and planprograms for the students, with varying levels of student involvement.I begin by discussing the data themes arising from the interviews anddiscussions with five education staff members and one young Aboriginalwoman no longer in school. Most co-researchers began by discussing specificneeds of young Aboriginal people, compared to other young people.Look and listen – community consultations and emerging themes from otherCollaboration AreasDuring the community consultations, interviews and focus groups, many coresearchersspoke of the importance of health information and access toprimary health care services for young Aboriginal women.Community concernsTeenage pregnancy, sexual health, violence and access to health careOlder women in the Aboriginal Women’s Reference Group spoke of theirconcerns for young Aboriginal women, particularly regarding high rates of264