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Sexual Health Sexual Health Society
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Sexual Health

Sexual Health

Volume 9 Number 2 2012

SH11051 Rapid point-of-care tests for HIV and sexually transmissible infection control in remote Australia: can they improve Aboriginal people's and Torres Strait Islanders' health

James Ward, Rebecca Guy, Rae-Lin Huang, Janet Knox, Sophie Couzos, David Scrimgeour, Liz Moore, Tim Leahy, Jenny Hunt, Basil Donovan and John M. Kaldor
pp. 109-112

In remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia, there is a high prevalence of bacterial sexually transmissible infections (STI) and delays in receiving results and treatment, providing impetus for evaluations to be undertaken on the feasibility, cost and impact of STI point-of-care tests. Due to very low HIV prevalence in these communities, the substantial numbers of false-positive results would result in more harm than any perceived benefit.


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.

SH10094 Men's attitudes towards chlamydia screening: a narrative review

Myles Balfe, Ruairi Brugha, Emer O'Connell, Deirdre Vaughan and Diarmuid O'Donovan
pp. 120-130

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.

SH10150 Gender, peer and partner influences on adolescent HIV risk in rural South Africa

Abigail Harrison, Jenni Smit, Susie Hoffman, Thobile Nzama, Cheng-Shiun Leu, Joanne Mantell, Zena Stein and Theresa Exner
pp. 178-186

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.

SH11038 Sexual behaviour of inmates with Chlamydia trachomatis infection in the prisons of Catalonia, Spain

Evelin L. Corbeto, Dolors Carnicer-Pont, Rossie Lugo, Victoria Gonzalez, Elisabet Bascuñana, Nuria Lleopart, Luis Barbero, Victoria Humet, Jordi Casabona and Chlamydia Study Group in Catalonia Prisons
pp. 187-189

The increased trend of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and the opportunity that the prison environment offers for screening programs justifies monitoring its prevalence and risk factors in prisons. Prevalence of CT was 5.4%. Independent risk factors for infection were as follows: foreign origin, having had simultaneous sexual partners and alcohol consumption. Systematic monitoring of CT in prisoners is important in order to prevent further problems in themselves and in the general population.

SH11068 Rectal self-sampling in non-clinical venues for detection of sexually transmissible infections among behaviourally bisexual men

Brian Dodge, Barbara Van Der Pol, Michael Reece, David Malebranche, Omar Martinez, Gabriel Goncalves, Phillip Schnarrs, Ryan Nix and J. Dennis Fortenberry
pp. 190-191

Little is known about rectal sexually transmissible infections among men who have sex with both men and women. Self-obtained rectal specimens were collected from a diverse sample of 75 behaviourally bisexual men in the Midwestern USA. A relatively high prevalence of rectal Chlamydia trachomatis infection was found. Since most participants reported acceptability with the self-sampling process, future efforts should focus on increasing rectal sexually transmissible infection testing and treatment options for bisexual men.

SH11022 Clients' views on a piloted telemedicine sexual health service for rural youth

Cameryn C. Garrett, Maggie Kirkman, Marcus Y. Chen, Rosey Cummings, Candice Fuller, Jane Hocking, Jane E. Tomnay and Christopher K. Fairley
pp. 192-193

An Australian sexual health telemedicine service was piloted in an attempt to increase rural youths’ access to health services. Evidence is presented that online video consultations for sexual health may not yet be widely acceptable to young people in Australia.

SH11064'Yes wee can' – a nurse-driven asymptomatic screening program for chlamydia and gonorrhoea in a remote emergency department

Adam Mossenson, Kathryn Algie, Melanie Olding, Linda Garton and Carole Reeve
pp. 194-195

Emergency departments are an underutilised interface for at risk youth populations to access public health initiatives. The objective of this research was to implenent and evaluate a nurse driven youth screening program for gonorrhoea and chlamydia in a busy rural emergency department. Asymptomatic screening was widely accepted by both sexes and in Indigenous populations without significantly impacting on the workload of emergency staff.

SH11054 HIV/AIDS related knowledge among school-going adolescents from the Middle East and North Africa

Anja Boneberger, Simon Rückinger, Regina Guthold, Laura Kann and Leanne Riley
pp. 196-198

This presents data about HIV/AIDS related knowledge among 13-15 year old school-going adolescents from seven countries of the Middle East and North Africa using the Global School Based Student Health Survey (GSHS). HIV/AIDS related knowledge varied significantly across countries in this study. Interestingly, girls reported more HIV/AIDS related knowledge than boys. More research for this sensitive topic focussing on gender aspects is needed for this region.

SH11085 Use of alcohol, nicotine and other drugs in the Western Australian HIV Cohort study

Susan E. Herrmann, Elizabeth J. McKinnon, Leah J. Williams, Mina John, Simon Mallal, Michaela Lucas and David A. Nolan
pp. 199-201

Substance abuse is an important modifiable factor for prevention of non-AIDS related disease and transmission of infection. This study establishes the prevalence of alcohol and other drug use in the Western Australian HIV Cohort and its association with detectable virus, with the aim of providing an evidence base to justify integrating interventions into HIV clinical care.

Committee on Publication Ethics