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Sexual Health Sexual Health Society
Publishing on sexual health from the widest perspective

Sexual Health

Sexual Health

Sexual Health publishes contributions on sexual health from the widest perspectives including HIV/AIDS, STIs, issues of sexuality, and reproductive health. Read more about the journalMore

Editors-in-Chief: Jason Ong and Joseph Tucker

Publishing Model: Hybrid. Open Access options available.

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Latest

These articles are the latest published in the journal. Sexual Health has moved to a continuous publication model. More information is available on our Continuous Publication page.

Published online 28 March 2024

SH23191Effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination on male fertility

Fei Chen 0000-0002-2578-7159, Yunfei Zhang, Yingze Zhang, Yuqi Li, Jiao Ma, Yining Qin, Shuwen Deng, Yuhan Zhang, Deyang Wang, Haiying Wang and Juan Lin 0000-0003-4284-8109
 

Since the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic in December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has already had a widespread impact on fertility. This study comprehensively assessed the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the testis, semen parameters, sex hormone levels and erectile function, and discussed possible transmission routes during sexual intercourse and the effect of vaccination on male fertility. It provides a reference for maintaining male reproductive health under the background of normalised prevention and control of COVID-19.

Published online 26 March 2024

SH23205Catching lightning in a bottle: the STI and HIV 2023 World Congress Participatory Designathon

Ronnie M. Gravett 0000-0002-1614-758X, Rayner K. J. Tan 0000-0002-9188-3368, Weiming Tang 0000-0002-9026-707X, Steph Niapauri, Barbara Van Der Pol 0000-0003-3064-8564 and Joseph D. Tucker 0000-0003-2804-1181
 

The International Society for STD Research (ISSTDR) STI/HIV 2023 World Congress hosted a participatory designathon. Global experts and practitioners attending an international sexual health conference were tasked with engaging in a design-thinking, participatory crowdsourcing event to create innovative solutions for improving the control of sexually transmitted infections. This manuscript reports the processes, challenges, and successes of the designathon.

Published online 26 March 2024

SH24003Could late-latent syphilis be treated with a single subcutaneous infusion of long-acting penicillin?

Thel K. Hla 0000-0002-5233-4438, Sam Salman, Joseph Kado, Brioni R. Moore and Laurens Manning
 

Painful intramuscular injections of long-acting penicillin remain the mainstay of treatment for syphilis. They are distressing to clients and caregivers and are thought to interfere with treatment acceptance, especially if more than one dose is required. We present a novel method of delivering the same penicillin treatment into the fat, which obviate the need for multiple doses and is associated with less reported pain – a potential gamechanger to improve syphilis treatment adherence and care cascade.

Published online 25 March 2024

SH23114Characterisation of social media conversations on syphilis: an unobtrusive observational study

Abby C. Dawson, Alyssa K. Fitzpatrick, Janet M. Matthews, Andrew A. K. Nguyen, Kelly Papanaoum and Justine R. Smith 0000-0002-4756-5493
 

This study used data sourced from Twitter to characterise social media conversations about syphilis. Accurate medical information was limited, whereas tweets about personal experience generated the most engagement. Coupling medical resources and personal experiences may support public health education on social media.

Published online 21 March 2024

SH23173Acceptance and use of condoms among school-aged young people in Australia

Jennifer Power 0000-0002-6566-3214, Sylvia Kauer 0000-0001-9797-9822, Christopher Fisher 0000-0001-8757-0847 and Adam Bourne 0000-0001-5299-8835
 

This paper reports findings from a survey of school-aged young people in Australia looking at use of, and attitudes toward condoms. Social and relationship factors were most strongly associated with regular condom use, including feeling confident to talk about safer sex with a sexual partner. The paper highlights the importance of working with young people to build confidence and capacity to communicate about sex and condom use.

Published online 21 March 2024

SH23186‘Every strategy needs to be contributing to erasing the stigma’: Māori and Pacific young people talk about overcoming barriers to testing for sexually transmitted infections

Sally B. Rose 0000-0002-5626-5142, Abby Dunlop, Tracey Gardiner, Marama Cole, Susan M. Garrett and Eileen M. McKinlay
 

Māori and Pacific youth are disproportionately impacted by sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We sought Māori and Pacific young people’s ideas on how to overcome barriers to STI testing. Strategies identified included the need for free and more flexible services, education and health promotion designed to reach young people in their communities. This work highlights the need for community-based health promotion delivered by trusted leaders, framed in culturally appropriate ways with messages that help to normalise, and destigmatise sexual health.

Published online 12 March 2024

SH23165Harm reduction and multidisciplinary consultations for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men practising chemsex based in a French infectious disease unit: patients’ characteristics and perceptions

Alexandre Aslan, David Lessard 0000-0002-1151-3763, Bertrand Lebouché, Iris Bichard, Bénédicte Loze, Eleonore Laussat and Jean-Michel Molina
 

Chemsex, a type of sexualised drug use, has been associated with potential harm among gay men and it is important to understand users’ experience of related services. Parisian men practising chemsex who attended harm reduction consultations in an infectious disease unit completed a questionnaire: most were frequent users, followed by specialists, and many had attended emergency services. Most were satisfied and reported reduced risks after consultations. Easily-accessible preventive and therapeutic services in centres attended by users may be beneficial.

Published online 04 March 2024

SH23166Barriers to engagement with testing for sexually transmitted infections within a UK-based young adult Black Caribbean community: a qualitative study

Gemma Heath 0000-0002-1569-5576, Kiranpal Kaur, Claire Farrow, Jonathan D. C. Ross and Rebecca Clarke
 

The Black Caribbean population have a disproportionately high burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study explored barriers to engagement with STI testing within a UK-based young adult Black Caribbean community. Engagement with STI testing in young adults from the Black Caribbean community is impacted by historically and culturally embedded practices and beliefs inherited through generations. Targeting these factors within interventions may be effective for increasing STI-testing, and thus reducing rates of STI-infection in this population.

Published online 27 February 2024

SH23171Adapting the Client Priority Rating Scale to better fit the sexual health counselling setting: a quality improvement study

Katherine Coote 0000-0002-8990-7295, Fiona O’Neill and Eve Slavich 0000-0002-6520-6195
 

Effective client triage is essential when demand for counselling exceeds capacity. We adapted an existing counselling triage tool to better fit the sexual health setting. Psychometric scales are useful tools in patient assessment and care, however, are best applied in combination with clinical judgement and peer consultation.

Published online 26 February 2024

SH23168Improving digital partner notification for sexually transmitted infections and HIV through a systematic review and application of the Behaviour Change Wheel approach

Will Kocur 0009-0006-6123-2413, Julie McLeod 0000-0001-6787-1511, Sonja Charlotte Margot Bloch 0000-0002-1779-8616, Jennifer J. MacDonald 0000-0002-3896-0846, Charlotte Woodward, Amelia McInnes-Dean, Jo J. Gibbs 0000-0001-5696-0260, John J. Saunders 0000-0003-3020-9916, Ann A. Blandford 0000-0002-3198-7122, Claudia Estcourt 0000-0001-5523-5630 and Paul Flowers 0000-0001-6239-5616
 

This paper systematically develops recommendations to improve current and future digital partner notification interventions. It takes findings from the published international literature and then uses tools from behavioural science to generate a series of simple recommendations. The recommendations should be further operationalised locally with key stakeholders for optimal impact.

Published online 26 February 2024

SH23181Juvenile probation officers delivering an intervention for substance use significantly reduces adolescents’ risky sexual behaviours

Rebecca L. Fix 0000-0002-5506-3960, Colleen S. Walsh, Ashli J. Sheidow 0000-0002-0081-6179, Michael R. McCart, Jason E. Chapman and Tess K. Drazdowski 0000-0002-2339-0780
 

This study aimed to address risky sexual behaviour among adolescents. We tested the effectiveness of a contingency management intervention by juvenile probation officers, primarily designed to address substance use, on reducing risky sexual behaviour among 218 adolescents on probation. Findings indicated this intervention reduced risky sexual behaviour over time. Interventions focused on individual risk behaviours among adolescents on probation populations can have positive ripple effects, evidencing a possible approach for underserved communities lacking clinician access.

Published online 22 February 2024

SH23141Inequities in PrEP use according to Medicare status in a publicly funded sexual health clinic; a retrospective analysis

Aaron Coleman, Ben John Maslen 0000-0003-3475-6247 and Rosalind Foster 0000-0002-8098-3718
 

HIV rates in Australia disproportionately affect men who have sex with men (MSM) born overseas compared with those who are Australian-born. One explanation may be Medicare eligibility which can affect access to affordable healthcare including HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This population remains under-researched as they are not captured in routinely collected prescribing data. This study demonstrates that MSM without Medicare accessing a publicly funded sexual health clinic in Sydney are less likely to be on HIV PrEP than MSM who do have Medicare.

Published online 19 February 2024

SH23178Chlamydia retesting remains low among young women in Australia: an observational study using sentinel surveillance data, 2018–2022

Stephanie C. Munari 0000-0002-2296-7787, Anna L. Wilkinson, Jason Asselin, Louise Owen, Phillip Read, Robert Finlayson, Sarah Martin 0000-0002-9325-1647, Charlotte Bell, Catherine C. O’Connor, Allison Carter 0000-0003-2151-2622, Rebecca Guy, Anna McNulty 0000-0003-3174-1242, Rick Varma 0000-0002-0402-0506, Eric P. F. Chow 0000-0003-1766-0657, Christopher K. Fairley 0000-0001-9081-1664, Basil Donovan, Mark Stoove, Jane L. Goller 0000-0001-5580-360X, Jane Hocking 0000-0001-9329-8501, Margaret E. Hellard and
 

Chlamydia remains as the most notified bacterial sexually transmissible infection in Australia and repeat infections can lead to significant reproductive complications, particularly for women. Guidelines recommended retesting at 3 months following a chlamydia diagnosis, but current retesting rates in line with guidelines are low, and re-infections are common. Increased efforts to improve timely retesting can aid in earlier identification, management and reduced risk of disease burden.

Published online 06 February 2024

SH23189The shadow pandemic: rising syphilis rates in the wake of coronavirus (COVID-19)

Rhea Ahuja 0000-0003-3314-1734, Nilam Singh, Kaushal K. Verma and Somesh Gupta 0000-0003-3015-8602
 

Post-COVID, there has been a notable surge in syphilis cases, with a 38% increase reported in 2021 compared to 2019, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Analysis of our clinic’s data over 8 years spanning from 2015 to 2023 also showed a steady rise from 2020 to 2023, particularly among males. This trend contrasts with the overall decline in clinic attendance during the pandemic. Contributing factors include an increase in online sexual activity (seeking sexual partners online) and diverted healthcare resources towards the COVID-19 pandemic. Urgent measures are reinforced surveillance and public health response, heightened awareness, and the provision of early and cost-free treatment to address this escalation of syphilis cases.

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