Asian gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men are a priority population for HIV prevention in Australia. Using data from the Gay Asian Men’s Survey, we explored their relationship between social engagement with LGBTQ+ people, experiences of discrimination, and condomless sex without pre-exposure prophylaxis or viral suppression. A substantial proportion engaged in high-risk sexual activity and was more common among those who experienced homophobia, suggesting a need to develop targeted interventions to reduce homphobia in community and clinical settings. More work is needed to utilise social networks of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in HIV prevention.

In the context of an expanding syphilis epidemic, we assessed the integration of STI testing into Medicare Benefits Schedule Item 715, which is a comprehensive annual health assessment offered to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australian primary care. Guidelines recommend inclusion of STI testing for young people, but the extent to which health services nationally have integrated STI screening into health assessments is unknown. Our national, multi-centre study examined factors associated with integration of STI testing into health assessments for the first time and makes an important contribution to the evidence base supporting national guidelines.

The long-term benefits of COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in China are still unclear. Our study found that the incidence of the five STDs decreased rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. A recovery of STDs was found to occur in 2021 compared with that in 2020, but the rising trend disappeared after adjusting for the NPIs. Our study demonstrated that NPIs have a long-term effect on STDs, but relaxation of NPI usage might lead to a resurgence.

Syphilis in pregnancy can have life-long health impacts for mothers and babies and is on the rise in many high-income countries such as Australia. Healthcare providers are vital in improving outcomes for mothers and babies, but our findings show optimal management is hindered by poor communication, unclear guidelines, and knowledge deficits. To improve the provision of care offered it is important for healthcare systems address this multi-faceted issue.

Access to syphilis testing and treatment for men who have sex with men is frequently limited. A two-armed randomised controlled trial compared feasibility and costs of facility-based syphilis testing with self-testing among men who have sex with men in Zimbabwe. Overall, 58% and 74% of facility- and self-testing arm participants took up and subsequently completed syphilis testing, respectively. Syphilis self-testing can increase test uptake among men who have sex with men in Zimbabwe. However, some barriers limit uptake, including lack of self-testing and poor service access.

Chlamydia infection in Australia is common in individuals under 30 years old. General practitioners play an important role in facilitating testing, treatment and re-testing of chlamydia infections. We identified substantial gaps in testing and re-testing for 16–29-year-olds attending general practitioner clinics, with only 10% of patients tested and 22% of positive cases re-tested within recommended timeframes. This study demonstrated the value of utilising routinely collected general practice data in a research setting and provided insight into chlamydia management in primary care.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is used widely by men who have sex with men in Australia to prevent HIV; however, it has not been prescribed to many cisgender women. Through interviews with PrEP prescribers, we found the barriers to PrEP for women are low patient and clinician awareness, difficulties with HIV risk assessment and service limitations. Further targeted education for prescribers, inclusion of women in national PrEP guidelines and research exploring women’s access preferences will facilitate PrEP provision to women at risk.

In this study, we show how unequal distribution of perceived knowledge creates barriers for young LGBTQI+ people in using school-based sexuality education as a resource for sexual health literacy that is inclusive, regardless of sexual identity or transgender experience. While research on school-based sexuality education often focuses on what topics to cover and what students and teachers think about the education, our study focused on young people’s perceived learning and how this relates to their sexual health.

This report describes the first case (in December 2022) of mpox occurring in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Australia in a person who had completed a two-dose course of subcutaneous vaccination using modified vaccinia Ankara. He likely acquired his infection in the USA, was diagnosed in Auckland, and was followed-up in Australia, as he was travelling. This case highlights the importance of maintaining clinical suspicion for mpox in fully vaccinated individuals who present with symptoms suggestive of mpox and who have epidemiological risk.