Safer sex at holiday centres: providing contraceptive services to seasonal workers

Hennink, Monique, Cooper, P. and Diamond, I. (1999) Safer sex at holiday centres: providing contraceptive services to seasonal workers. British Journal of Family Planning, 25 (2), 45-54.

Abstract

Many seasonal workers experience an increase in sexual activity whilst employed at a holiday centre. Evidence of sexual risk-taking while at a holiday centre has important social and health implications for purchasers and providers of sexual health services in areas which experience an annual influx of seasonal workers.
This research investigates the contraceptive behaviour of seasonal workers and focuses on their access to contraception and sexual health services. In-depth interviews were conducted with seasonal workers at holiday centres along the south coast of England. Respondents were, interviewed at the beginning of the season and again, five months later at the end of the season.
This longitudinal methodology enabled changes in contraceptive behaviour to be identified as well as the strategies for seeking contraception and sexual health services throughout the season. The results of this study show that there are a range of different motivations which influence seasonal worker' use of contraception and sexual risk-taking while at a holiday centre.
Categories of contraceptive protection are developed to assist purchasers and providers to identify the variety of sexual health needs of workers at holiday centres and determine the most effective strategies for delivering contraceptive and sexual health services to these workers.
The paper describes the motivations which influence contraceptive use and sexual risk-taking amongst seasonal workers, identifies the contraceptive and sexual health needs of these workers, and discusses the difficulties workers experienced in meeting these needs while at a holiday centre.
PIP: This research investigates the contraceptive behavior of seasonal workers at holiday centers along the south coast of England and focuses on their access to contraception and sexual health services. A longitudinal methodology was employed in order to identify the changes in contraceptive behavior, as well as strategies for seeking contraception and sexual health services throughout the season.
The results showed a range of different motivations that influenced seasonal workers' use of contraception and sexual risk-taking while at a holiday center. This range includes those who are primarily concerned with pregnancy prevention or the protection against STDs, those whose contraceptive intentions are influenced by alcohol or desire for sexual pleasure, and those whose attitudes towards contraceptive use continually lead to experiences of unsafe sex.
Categories of contraceptive protection have been developed to assist purchasers and providers in identifying the variety of sexual health needs of workers at holiday centers. The six styles of protection that describe seasonal workers' practices are: pregnancy prevention, relationship orientated, determined users, situational, passive, and unconcerned. The most effective strategies determined for delivering contraceptive and sexual health services to these workers are information provision and accessibility of contraceptive services.

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