This study examined associations between perceived gender relations, sexual communication ability and actual use of condoms or other contraceptives among undergraduate female students in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Results showed that the greater a female student’s perception that women were subordinate to men, the lower her self-efficacy for sexual communication and the lower her actual frequency of discussing safer sex matters and asking her partner to use a condom.

This report describes a patient with symptomatic Trichomonas vaginalis infection who was unable to tolerate nitroimidazole drugs because of severe hypersensitivity for which desensitization was not possible. A 2-month course of intravaginal topical boric acid subsequently achieved complete symptomatic cure and the patient remained T. vaginalis wet prep- and culture-negative 60 days after treatment.

The professional attitudes and practice of health care workers towards clients from vulnerable groups can affect the quality of care. This article presents the results of a study on health care worker’s attitude and behavior towards PLHIV and vulnerable communities in Fiji. Health care workers negative attitudes and behavior is a barrier to equal access to health care services. Empowering staff through further education training in HIV could improve quality of care in the health care facilities.

In China, sexuality studies using validated psychosexual instruments are limited. This article tests the psychometric properties of the four subscales of Mandarin version of the Multidimensional Sexuality Questionnaire (M-MSQ). It discusses the reliability and validity, the results indicate these four subscales can be as a measure of sexual esteem, sexual conscious, sexual motivation and sexual satisfaction in Mandarin speakers.

As microbicide development continues, an understanding of product acceptability, including timing of application, is imperative. Among young women using a microbicide surrogate there was tremendous variation in actual timing-of-use versus assigned timing conditions. Overall product assessments were positive, including ease of use and comfort during sex. These results have implications for how microbicides will be used by and should be marketed to young women.

We conducted qualitative interviews among heterosexual African American women to examine the social, structural, and behavioural factors influencing sexual concurrency. We found trust of partners, social normalisation of concurrency, marital status, economic dependence on partners, partners’ incarceration, and substance use strongly influenced concurrent sexual partnerships. HIV prevention interventions should address the social and structural factors influencing African American women’s sexual networks as well as traditional HIV risk-taking behaviours.

Although historically, sexuality-related issues have received little systematic attention in the field of public health, researchers are now paying more attention to the role of pleasure and sexual arousal in condom use. In this commentary, it is argued that a better integration of findings from the area of sex research into the HIV and sexually transmissible infection (STI) field is needed to develop and improve programs to reduce the risk of STIs and unintended pregnancy.

The authors reviewed data on the effectiveness and acceptability of the female condom for protection against pregnancy and sexually transmissible infections (STIs), including HIV. The data available suggest that female condoms (or a mixture of female and male condoms) may provide similar degrees of protection against pregnancy and STIs as do latex male condoms alone; however, this conclusion has not been demonstrated and thus comparative research is urgently needed..

Concurrency has been associated with the transmission of sexually transmittable infections. However, different types of concurrency may be associated with varying levels of risk. This study considered four types of concurrency and found that each was associated with a varying set of predictors. Two types, experimental and reactive, were associated with other high-risk behaviours.

Gender differences in sexual behaviours and sexually transmissible infections (STIs) among adolescents in mental health treatment were examined. Females were more likely to be STI-positive and report inconsistent condom use, whereas males were less likely to obtain HIV testing, receive their test results, refuse and avoid sex, and more likely to have a casual partner. Mental health care for adolescents should include assessment of sexual risk and gender-specific HIV/STI prevention strategies are necessary.

In response to an increasing HIV epidemic in China, a 5-year action plan has prioritised the scale-up of HIV testing and treatment.  We use a mathematical model to investigate ‘test and treat’ strategies in China and find that a four-fold increase in testing may avert more than 42 000 HIV infections and a 10-fold increase in treatment rates could decrease HIV incidence by one-quarter over the next 5 years.

This paper describes the epidemiology of congenital and infectious syphilis during 1991-2009, and discusses the impact of public health interventions and the feasibility of syphilis elimination among Aboriginal people in Western Australia (WA). The epidemiology of syphilis in WA has changed over time and despite some successes, infectious syphilis has remained endemic. This is largely due to the unique geographical and socio-economic features of WA.

Gonorrhoea is a significant public health problem in China, with 100 000–200 000 cases reported annually. With the aim of gaining more information to control this disease, we carried out a spatial analysis of gonorrhoea cases in entire mainland China from 2004 to 2009. We found three spatial clusters of high gonorrhoea risk. Allocating more resources to such areas may effectively reduce gonorrhoea incidence.

It was examined if products surrounding condoms in stores play a role in preferences where to buy condoms. One hundred and eighty young men and women completed an online questionnaire on their preferences for seven different types of condom placement, associated embarrassment with these placements, and motives for having sex. The findings suggest that using multiple and alternative placements for condoms in stores will encourage condom purchasing behaviour among young people.

Correlates of chlamydia infection were determined within a primary care sentinel surveillance network in Victoria, Australia. Among women, correlates were: younger age, being born overseas, multiple sex partners, and inconsistent condom use. Among heterosexual men, correlates were: younger age, being born overseas, symptoms, and multiple sex partners. Among men who have sex with men, correlates were: being born overseas, being HIV-positive, and higher numbers of anal sex partners.

No previous study has examined relationships of symptoms of depression to multiple sexual risk-taking in adolescents. This study examines such associations while controlling for other known risk factors and measures of social capital. A consistent and independent association of risk of depression with multiple risk behaviours is seen, which should lead health-care workers dealing with adolescents to inquire about sexual risk behaviours in patients who have symptoms of depression.

This article examines the recent peer-reviewed literature (published between 1999 and 2009) on men’s attitudes towards chlamydia screening. It discusses the factors that encourage and discourage men from accepting chlamydia screening, and reviews where men want chlamydia screening services to be located.

This systematic review describes four distinct STI programs in remote communities and their impact on STI prevalence. The programs were in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) lands of northern South Australia, Tiwi Islands of Northern Territory (NT), Ngaanyatjarra Lands of Western Australia, and central Australian region of NT. In three of the four programs, there was some evidence that clinical best practice and well coordinated sexual health programs can reduce STI prevalence in remote Aboriginal communities.

We used a meta-analytic approach to systematically analyse 14 published studies to elucidate the prevalence and genotype distribution of cervical human papillomavirus (HPV( infection among female sex workers (FSWs) in Asia. Crude prevalence ranged from 12.8% to 84.8% among FSWs, which was nearly 10-fold of the prevalence in the general women population. HPV genotype distribution in FSWs was statistically different between East Asia and South-east Asia.

A school-based cross-sectional survey of potential HIV risk factors in 983 male and female adolescents aged 14–17 was conducted in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Survey results highlight the importance of gender, peer and partner influences on young people’s sexual activity and condom use, which increased for boys and girls with improved partner communication. HIV prevention interventions should build on existing gender equitable beliefs, and work to promote others.

The use of condoms in conjunction with other contraceptive methods has substantial benefits for both pregnancy prevention and STI prevention, but rates of dual method use in the USA are comparatively low. This article reviews the literature on trends and covariates of dual method use in the USA, identifying those factors most strongly associated with dual method use and identifying key areas for future research and interventions.

In this article we review condom use in China, with a focus on the populations that are at high risk for HIV/sexually transmissible infection. We also review policies related to condom promotion and the challenges facing this endeavour and tend to provide recommendations to promoting condom use in China.

This review article summarizes findings of sexual behavior research studies recently carried out in central and eastern Europe. This world region has seen one of the most rapidly increasing HIV epidemics, which coincided with fundamental political, economic, and social transformations. Studies of injection drug users, commercial sex workers, men who have sex with men, adolescents and young adults all reported inconsistent condom use. Risk behavior patterns are discussed, and public health recommendations are being suggested.

In South Africa male condoms are available widely in the public, social marketing and the private sectors. The female condom program is well-established. Increasing condom use rates at last sex are reported; however, inconsistent and incorrect use are major challenges impeding the condom program’s success. This article reviews current condom guidelines, policies, distribution and uptake. We discuss the main challenges to condom use, including both user and service-related issues.

Condom social marketing interventions deliver risk reduction messages and about one-quarter of all condoms used worldwide. The primary challenge today is for social marketing agencies and their stakeholders, public and commercial sector supply sources, to collaborate to achieve universal coverage of condoms among the vulnerable while increasing cost-effectiveness and equity..

Although several forms of inherent bias create underestimates of condom effectiveness, a review of prospective studies suggests that a high degree of protection against most sexually transmissible infections is provided through the consistent and correct use of condoms. Improved studies should focus on several key issues, including those relevant to the selection of a recall period, improved precision of self-reported measures, and accounting for condom use errors and problems.

An exploratory study that sheds light on the relationship between viewing pornography and sexual risk taking. Baseline assessments from a behavioural intervention trial for at-risk men who have sex with men were conducted in Atlanta, GA in 2009. Time spent viewing pornography was significantly associated with having more male sexual partners, unprotected insertive anal sex acts and increased substance use. Future studies in this area should focus on understanding how the content of pornography may affect sexual risk taking behaviour..

This prospective study at two Sydney sexual health services trialled the provision of HIV results by telephone to low-risk clients. Of 763 clients tested for HIV during the study period, 328 (43%) were excluded following risk assessment. Of 405 clients enrolled, 86% telephoned for their result within 30 days, 97% were satisfied with the delivery of their result and 93% preferred to use the telephone for their results for future HIV testing..