This is the first meta-analysis evaluating the association between education level and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) in HIV-positive (HIV+) patients. The effect of education level on the development of HAND remains controversial and our study provided compelling evidence that low education level is an independent risk factor for developing HAND. Quantification of education level on the contribution to the risk of HAND would provide important reference on the identification of high-risk patients and the formulation of effective screening policies.

The landscape of HIV in Australia is rapidly changing as access to prevention methods increases. We investigated the attitudes of healthcare providers towards pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a recently government-subsidised medication, in Queensland, a state with unique geographical access challenges. The findings indicate that several barriers have the potential to affect service delivery, but providers were hopeful that professional training endorsing PrEP would ensure that the primary healthcare workforce is prepared to provide competent and safe access.

Sexualised drug use has attracted interest due to the role it could play in increasing exposure to transmission of HIV and other sexually transmissible infections. The present study results demonstrate that it is an emerging phenomenon in Chile, which must be studied in all its dimensions, to understand its effect on people’s health.

Individuals diagnosed with a chlamydia infection are advised to notify their sexual partners from the previous 6 months so that they too can get tested and treated as appropriate. Partner notification can be challenging, particularly in circumstances where a relationship has ended or transmission has occurred beyond the primary relationship. This study found that a chlamydia infection often has significant consequences for intimate relationships, and both general practitioners and patients need support to deal with these implications.

We show in this study that vaccine uptake is high and the prevalence of vaccine-related human papilloma virus (HPV) genotypes is extremely low among vaccine-eligible-age females in Australia. Early sexual debut and multiple sexual partners are positively associated with HPV, underscoring the importance of vaccination at the routinely recommended age of 12–13 years for best effectiveness. The low prevalence of HPV vaccine-related genotypes supports the success of the quadrivalent vaccine in reducing the circulation of the targeted type of HPV in this population.

In order to achieve the zero-infections target by 2030, we must understand the barriers to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) acceptability in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. This study reveals that perceived discrimination (in both clinical and non-clinical settings) is associated with the endorsement of HIV conspiracy beliefs, which in turn makes gay men less likely to endorse PrEP to prevent HIV.

Group sex has been poorly studied among female sex workers (FSW). A short survey of 51 FSW was conducted and it was found that almost half (49%) reported having group sex with a median number of two times in the past 3 months. This suggests that group sex is not uncommon among FSW.

It is known that gay and bisexual men (GBM) who use recreational drugs report riskier sexual behaviours, but the strength of this association in older GBM (age >55 years) is not as clear. We looked at a group of GBM between 35 and 79 years of age and compared the sexual behaviours of those who did not report any recreational drug use to those who did. The rate of recreational drug use is much lower after the age of 55 years and the link between drug use and riskier sexual behaviour is less strong above that age. This adds to our understanding of the effect of age on the pattern of drug use and sexual behaviours in older GBM.

Many common sexually transmissible infections have few or no symptoms, remain undiagnosed in Australian young people and online requests can make testing easier. Approximately 60% of young people who ordered an online test in Queensland submitted a urine sample and reminder calls to those who did not generated only a low number of additional samples. Reminder calls to submit a sample are suggested as non-essential for this and similar online testing service models.