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Visiting Senior Fellow

Dr Christopher Micheal Fisher

PhD (Indiana U)

MA (San Francisco State U)

AA (City College of San Francisco)

BS (Indiana U)

Phone
+61-3-9479-8717
E-mail
c.fisher2@latrobe.edu.au

Current major research activities:

National Survey of Secondary Students and Sexual Health (lead investigator)

A nationally recurring survey funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health, this project examines the sexual health knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and educational experiences of young people in Australia. Past reports can be found here.

Australian Survey of Health and Relationships 3 (associate investigator)

This large national survey provides critical data on sexual health and relationships of Australians. More details can be found here.

 

Recent publications:

  1. Fisher, C.M., Kauer, S., Singleton, A. & Walsh-Buhi (in press). An examination of sexual health information sources, knowldge and behaviours among Australina teens: A latent class analysis. Sexuality Research & Social Policy.
  2. Connor, S., Edvardsson, K., Fisher, C.M., & Spelten, E. (in press). Perceptions and interpretation of contemporary masculinities: A systematic review. American Journal of Men’s Health.
  3. Robbins, R.E., Tibbits, M.K., Desmarais, M., Gilbert, M., Fisher, C.M., Bower, A., Shipp, D., Kaminski, J., & Pettid, C. (in press). Improving community readiness to promote spiritual wellness on a college campus. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies
  4. Kerr, L., Jones, T. & Fisher, C.M. (2021). Alleviating gender dysphoria: A qualitative study of perspectives of trans and gender diverse people. Journal of Health Services Research & Policy. doi: 10.1177/13558196211013407 
  5. Ezer, P., Fisher, C.M., Jones, T. & Power, J. (2021). Changes in sexuality education teacher training since the release of the Australian Curriculum. Sexuality Research and Social Policy. doi10.1007/s13178-020-00520-3
  6. Yap, L., Jones, J., Donovan, B., Nathan, S., Sullivan, E., Davison, S., Hefferan, E., Richards, A., Meurk, C., Steele., M., Fisher, C.M., Ton, B. & Butler, T. (2020). The sexual behaviours of adolescents aged between 14 and 17 years involved with the juvenile justice system in Australia: A community-based survey. PLOS One, 15(12), 1-19. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243633 
  7. Waling, A., Fisher, C.M., Ezer, P., Kerr, L.,  Bellamy, R.,  & Lucke, J. (2020). “Please teach students that sex is a healthy part of growing up.”: Australian students’ desires for sexuality and relationships education. Sexuality Research and Social Policy. doi: 10.1007/s13178-020-00516-z 
  8. Mude, W., Fisher, C.M., Gautier, R., Wallace, J. & Richmond, J. (2020). South Sudanese perceptions of health and illness in South Australia. International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, 16(4), 469-479. doi: 10.1108/IJMHSC-10-2019-0082.  
  9. Fisher, C.M., Kauer, S., Mikolajczak, G., Ezer, P, Kerr, L., Bellamy, R., Waling, A. & Lucke, J. (2020). Prevalence rates of sexual behaviours, condom use and contraction among Australian heterosexual adolescents. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 17(12), 2313-2321. doi: 10.1016/jsxm.2020.08.009. 
  10. Waling, A., Bellamy, R., Ezer, P., Kerr, L., Lucke, J., & Fisher, C.M. (2020). “It’s kinda bad, honestly.”: Australian students’ experiences of sex education. Health Education Research, 35(6), 538-552. doi: 10.1093/her/cyaa032. 
  11. Kerr, L., Fisher, C.M., & Jones, T. (2020). Improving cervical screening in trans and gender diverse people. Cancer Nursing. doi:.10.1097/NCC 0000000000000890. Q2
  12. Kerr, L., Fisher, C.M. & Jones, T. (2020). “I’m not from another planet”: The alienating cancer care experiences of trans and gender diverse people. Cancer Nursing: An International Journal for Cancer Care. doi: 10.1097/NCC. 0000000000000857.  
  13. Mude, W., Fisher, C.M., Richmond, J., Gaultier, RL & Wallace, J. (2020). Social impacts of living with chronic hepatitis B in South Sudanese community in Australia. Ethnicity and Health. doi: 10.1080/13557858.2020.1782849. 
  14. Mullholland, M., Robinson, K. & Fisher, C.M. (2020). Parent-child communication, sexuality and intergenerational conflict in multi-cultural multi-faith communities. Sex Education, 21(1), 44-58. doi: 10.1080/14681811.2020.1732336 
  15. Ezer, P., Fisher, C.M., Waling, A., Kerr, L.,  Bellamy, R.,  & Lucke, J. (2020). School-based relationship and sexuality education: What has changed since the release of the Australian Curriculum? Sex Education, 20(6), 642-657. doi:10.1080/14681811.2020.1720634 
  16. Kerr, L., Fisher, C.M., & Jones, T. (2020). Key informants discuss cancer care research for trans and gender diverse people. Journal of Cancer Education. doi: 10.1007/s13187-020-01697-2 
  17. Fisher, C.M., Kerr, L.,  Kneip Pelster, A.D., Ezer, P.,  Coleman, J.D., & Tibbits, M.K. (2020). Adolescent perspectives on addressing teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections in the classroom and beyond. Sex Education, 20(1), 90-100.doi:10.1080/14681811.2019.1618257 
  18. Robbins, R.E., Tibbits, M.K., Desmarais, M., Gilbert, M., Fisher, C.M., Bower, A., Shipp, D., Kaminski, J., & Pettid, C. (2019). Promoting spiritual wellness on a college campus through community-based participatory research. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 38(2). 
  19. Fisher, C.M., Mikolajczak, G., Ezer, P., Kerr, L.,  Bellamy, R.,  Brown, G., Waling, A., & Lucke, J. (2019). Study protocol: 6th national survey of Australian secondary students and adolescent sexual health, 2018. Frontiers in Public Health, 7(217). doi:10.3389/fpubh.2019.00217 
  20. Ezer, P.,  Jones, T., Fisher, C.M., & Power, J. (2019). A critical discourse analysis of sexuality education in the Australian Curriculum. Sex Education 19(5), 551-567. doi: 10.1080/14681811.2018.1553709 
  21. Ezer, P.,  Kerr, L.,  Fisher, C.M., Heywood, P., Mikolajczak, G., & Lucke, J. (2019). Australian students’ experiences of sexuality education at school. Sex Education 19(5), 597-613. doi: 10.1080/14681811.2019.1566896 
  22. Mude, W.,  Fisher, C.M., Richmond, J., Wallace, J., & Gautier, R. (2019). A qualitative investigation of barriers, support-seeking and coping among South Sudanese people with chronic hepatitis B in Australia. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 25, 264-274. doi:10.1071/PY19015 
  23. Pounds, L.,  Fisher, C.M., Lueshen, M.P., Barnes-Josiah, D., Coleman, J.D., & Lefebvre, R.C. (2017). The Role of Early Maternal Support in Balancing Full-Time Work and Infant Exclusive Breastfeeding: A Qualitative Study. Breastfeeding Medicine, 12(1), 33-38. doi: 10.1089/bfm.2016.0151 
  24. Fisher, C.M., Pastuszak, A.W., Cohen, D., Castiglione, F. & Carvalho, J. (2016). Current literature review [Commentary on: Towards preparedness for PrEP: PrEP awareness and acceptability among MSM at high risk of HIV transmission who use ociosexual media in four Celtic nations: Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland: An online survey]. Sexual Medicine, 4(2), e71-e74. doi: 10.1016/j.esxm.2016.03.028 
  25. Su, D., Irwin, J.A., Fisher, C.M., Ramos, A., Kelley, M., Rogel-Mendoza, D.A., & Coleman, J.D. (2016). Mental health disparities within the LGBT population: A comparison between transgender and nontransgender individuals. Transgender Health, 1(1), 12-20. doi: 10.1089/trgh.2015.0001 
  26. McCarthy, M.A.,  Fisher, C.M., Zhou, J.,  Zhu, H.,  Kneip Pelster, A.D.,  Schober, D.J., Baldwin, K., Fortneberry, J.D. & Goldsworthy, R. (2015). A qualitative exploration of community-based organizations’ programs, resources, and training to promote adolescent sexual health. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 10(4), 316-332. doi: 10.1080/15546128.2015.1091759 
  27. Gupta, N.,  Chandak, A.,  Gilson, G.,  Kneip Pelster, A.D.,  Schober, D.J., Goldsworthy, R., Baldwin, K., Fortenberry, J.D., & Fisher, C.M. (2015) Discovering sexual health conversations between youth and youth development professionals. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 10(1), 21-39. doi: 10.1080/15546128.2015.1009596 

 

Recent reports:

 

  1. Butler T., Yap L., Ton B., Jones J., Nathan S., Donovan B., Sullivan E., Steele M., Heffernan E., Davison S., Meurk C., Schess J., Harden S., Amin J. & Fisher C.M. (2021). Changing direction: Sexual and reproductive health needs of justice-involved young people in Australia. School of Population Health, UNSW, Sydney. ISBN: 978-0-7334-3963-6
  2. Hooker, L., Ison, J., Henry, N., Fisher, C.M., Forsdike, K., Young, F., Korsmeyer, H., O’Sullivan, G. & Taft, A. (2021). Primary prevention of sexual violence and harassment against women and girls: Combining evidence and practice knowledge – final report and theory of change. La Trobe University. 
  3. Hooker, L., Ison, J., O’Sullivan, G., Fisher, C.M., Henry, N., Forsdike, K, Young, F. & Taft, A. (2020). Primary prevention of sexual violence and harassment against women and girls: Combining evidence and practice knowledge – evidence review and data synthesis. La Trobe University. 
  4. Ezer, P., Power, J., Jones, T. & Fisher, C. M. (2020). 2nd National Survey of Australian Teachers of Sexuality Education 2018. Melbourne: La Trobe University. doi: 10.26181/5fa8f6f957467
  5. Waling, A., Fraser, S. & Fisher, C.M. (2020). Young people and sources of sexual health information, (ARCSHS Monograph Series No. 121), Bundoora; Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health & Society, La Trobe University.
  6. Fisher, C.M. & Kauer, S. (2019). National survey of Australian secondary students and sexual health 1992 – 2018: Trends over time, (ARCSHS Monograph Series No. 118), Bundoora; Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health & Society, La Trobe University.
  7. Kerr, L., Fisher, C.M., & Jones, T. (2019). TRANScending discrimination in health and cancer care: A study of trans and gender diverse Australians, (ARCSHS Monograph Series No. 117), Bundoora: Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health & Society, La Trobe University.
  8. Fisher, C.M., Kauer, S., Waling, A., Bellamy, R., Ezer, P., Kerr, L., Brown, G., & Lucke, J. (2019). Western Australian survey of secondary students and sexual health 2018, (ARCSHS Monograph Series No. 115), Bundoora; Australia Research Centre in Sex, Health & Society, La Trobe University.
  9. Fisher, C.M. (2019). Around half of 17-year-olds have had sex and they’re more responsible than you think. The Conversation. Retrieved from: https://theconversation.com/around-half-of-17-year-olds-have-had-sex-and-theyre-more-responsible-than-you-think-118337.
  10. Fisher, C. M., Waling, A., Kerr, L., Bellamy, R., Ezer, P., Mikolajczak, G., Brown, G., Carman, M. & Lucke, J. (2019). 6th National Survey of Australian Secondary Students and Sexual Health 2018, (ARCSHS Monograph Series No. 113), Bundoora: Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health & Society, La Trobe University.
  11. Fisher, C.M., Coleman, J.D., Kneip Pelster, A.D., & Tibbits, M. (2014). Final Report on Teen Knowledge, Perceptions and Ideas to Address Teen Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Omaha, University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Current:

Course Coordinator for the Graduate Certificate in Sex, Health and Society (La Trobe University)

Past:

Have developed and taught a number of subjects, both undergraduate and postgraduate, including: Health Promotion, Advanced Theories, Community-Based Participatory Research, Qualitative Methods, Human Sexuality, Applied Research and Biostatistics, Health Behaviour and Research and Evaluation Methods.

Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methodologies in social and behavioural health research

LGBTQIA+

Young People/Adolescents

Sex Education

Health Promotion

Public Health