Curtin University will be an active part of the Pride Festival’s Fairday, using the opportunity to collect valuable research data from community members.
Dr Jude Comfort, lecturer in Curtin’s School of Public Health and researcher in the WA Centre for Health Promotion Research, said the data would contribute to the longitudinal periodic survey of both gay men and lesbian/bisexual women in Perth.
She said the University had found a natural simpatico with the Pride ethos of celebrating sexual and gender diversity and promoting inclusivity.
“Curtin is a national leader in sexual health research and is proud of the success of its lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and intersex (LGBTI) health research and proactive ‘gay friendly’ campus initiatives,” she said.
“Pride Fairday is a key opportunity to recruit research participants that can provide vital data on health issues amongst this community including, sexual health and sexual behaviour; tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use; mental health; and community connectedness.”
Curtin’s main stall will also highlight the Curtin Ally Program, a network of supportive people or allies throughout the University who are sensitive to the issues either staff or students of diverse gender and sexuality may face in their university experience.
Curtin also recently announced the newest addition to the Sexology Program’s postgraduate courses, the Master of Sexology.
Dr Comfort said that Curtin’s international award-winning programs continued to lead the way in sexology education and research in Australia.
“Although society has come a long way in becoming more open and understanding, there are still areas where discrimination and ignorance can be a common experience of LGBTI people,” she said.
“These pressures have critical effects on the lifestyles, health and wellbeing of LGBTI Australians, which is why this area is always in need of more research and awareness.
This research will help assess how effective health promotion initiatives are in reaching this population group, identifying opportunities for health promotion interventions to be tailored to specific health needs. This year’s target of 2,000 survey participants will form part of a broader national research project.
PrideFest WA celebrations will be launched at the family-friendly Fairday on 6 October that attracts around 6,000 people to Russell Square in Northbridge.
Contact:Jude Comfort PhD. Lecturer, School of Public Health, WA Centre for Health Promotion Research, Curtin University Tel: 08 9266 2365, Email: j.comfort@curtin.edu.au
Hillary Lambert, Public Relations, Curtin University
Tel: 08 9266 9085, Email: hillary.lambert@curtin.edu.au Web: http://curtin.edu.au
