What proportion of sexually transmissible infections and HIV are diagnosed in New South Wales’ public sexual health services compared with other services?

Sexual Health ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Bourne ◽  
Debbie Allen ◽  
Katherine Brown ◽  
Stephen C. Davies ◽  
Anna McNulty ◽  
...  

Background: In New South Wales (NSW), publicly funded sexual health services (PFSHSs) target the populations at greatest risk for important sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and so may make a large contribution to the diagnosis of notifiable STIs. We aimed to determine the proportions of STIs diagnosed in PFSHSs and notified to the NSW Ministry of Health in 2009, and describe geographical variations. Methods: The number of notifiable STIs (infectious syphilis, gonorrhoea, HIV and chlamydia) diagnosed in 2009 was obtained for each Area Health Service (AHS) and each PFSHS. The proportion of diagnoses made by PFSHSs was calculated at the state and AHS level according to five geographical regions: inner and outer metropolitan, regional, rural and remote. Results: The overall proportions of diagnoses made by NSW PFSHSs were syphilis, 25%; gonorrhoea, 25%; HIV, 21%; and chlamydia, 14%. Within each zone, the proportions of these STIs were (respectively): (i) inner metropolitan: 32%, 26%, 21% and 13%; (ii) outer metropolitan: 41%, 24%, 43% and 9%; (iii) regional: 62%, 15%, 23% and 10%; (iv) rural: 8%, 29%, <5% and 20%; and (v) remote: <5%, 43%, <5% and 29%. There was considerable variation in proportions of STIs between and within AHSs (<5–100%). Conclusions: NSW PFSHSs contribute a large proportion of diagnoses for syphilis, gonorrhoea and HIV, but less so for chlamydia. Across AHSs and zones, there was considerable variation in the proportions. These data support the role of PFSHS in identifying and managing important STIs in high-risk populations.

Sexual Health ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 290
Author(s):  
Chris Bourne ◽  
Debbie Allen ◽  
Katherine Brown ◽  
Stephen C. Davies ◽  
Anna McNulty ◽  
...  

Background: In New South Wales (NSW), publicly funded sexual health services (PFSHSs) target the populations at greatest risk for important sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and so may make a large contribution to the diagnosis of notifiable STIs. We aimed to determine the proportions of STIs diagnosed in PFSHSs and notified to the NSW Ministry of Health in 2009, and describe geographical variations. Methods: The number of notifiable STIs (infectious syphilis, gonorrhoea, HIV and chlamydia) diagnosed in 2009 was obtained for each Area Health Service (AHS) and each PFSHS. The proportion of diagnoses made by PFSHSs was calculated at the state and AHS level according to five geographical regions: inner and outer metropolitan, regional, rural and remote. Results: The overall proportions of diagnoses made by NSW PFSHSs were syphilis, 25%; gonorrhoea, 25%; HIV, 21%; and chlamydia, 14%. Within each zone, the proportions of these STIs were (respectively): (i) inner metropolitan: 32%, 26%, 21% and 13%; (ii) outer metropolitan: 41%, 24%, 43% and 9%; (iii) regional: 62%, 15%, 23% and 10%; (iv) rural: 8%, 29%, Conclusions: NSW PFSHSs contribute a large proportion of diagnoses for syphilis, gonorrhoea and HIV, but less so for chlamydia. Across AHSs and zones, there was considerable variation in the proportions. These data support the role of PFSHS in identifying and managing important STIs in high-risk populations.


Sexual Health ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Bourne ◽  
Meeyin Lam ◽  
Christine Selvey ◽  
Rebecca Guy ◽  
Denton Callander

Background In Australia, testing and treatment for HIV and other sexually transmissible infections (STIs) is usually managed in general practice, while publicly funded sexual health clinics (PFSHC) attract people at higher risk for infection. The proportion of HIV and STI diagnoses in New South Wales (NSW) occurring in PFSHC stratified by priority population was investigated. Methods: From 2010 to 2014, NSW notification frequencies for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, infectious syphilis, and HIV were compared with the number of diagnoses in PFSHC. The annual proportion of diagnoses at PFSHC was calculated and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests assessed trends. Diagnoses from PFSHC were also organised by priority population, including gay and bisexual men (GBM), people living with HIV, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people who use injecting drugs, sex workers and young people. Results: The annual proportion of HIV and STIs diagnosed at PFSHC increased (all P < 0.001): chlamydia from 12% to 15%, gonorrhoea 23% to 38%, infectious syphilis 21% to 40% and HIV 22% to 30%. Overall, the majority of all infections diagnosed at PFSHC were among GBM, with the proportional distribution of chlamydia increasing from 32% to 46% among GBM (P < 0.001) and decreasing among young people (50% to 40%; P < 0.001). There were no other significant changes by population or infection at PFSHC. Conclusions: Increasing proportions of STI and HIV are being diagnosed at NSW PFSHC, mostly among GBM. PFSHC reorientation to priority populations continues to make a large and increasing contribution to STI and HIV control efforts in NSW.


Sexual Health ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asaduzzaman Khan ◽  
David Plummer ◽  
Rafat Hussain ◽  
Victor Minichiello

Background: Physicians’ inadequate involvement in sexual risk assessment has the potential to miss many asymptomatic cases. The present study was conducted to explore sexual risk assessment by physicians in clinical practice and to identify barriers in eliciting sexual histories from patients. Methods: A stratified random sample of 15% of general practitioners (GP) from New South Wales was surveyed to assess their management of sexually transmissible infections (STI). In total, 409 GP participated in the survey with a response rate of 45.4%. Results: Although nearly 70% of GP regularly elicited a sexual history from commercial sex workers whose presenting complaint was not an STI, this history taking was much lower (<10%) among GP for patients who were young or heterosexual. About 23% never took a sexual history from Indigenous patients and 19% never elicited this history from lesbian patients. Lack of time was the most commonly cited barrier in sexual history taking (55%), followed by a concern that patients might feel uncomfortable if a sexual history was taken (49%). Other constraints were presence of another person (39%) and physician’s embarrassment (15%). About 19% of GP indicated that further training in sexual history taking could improve their practice. Conclusions: The present study identifies inconsistent involvement by GP in taking sexual histories, which can result in missed opportunities for early detection of many STI. Options for overcoming barriers to taking sexual histories by GP are discussed.


2000 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Mathers ◽  
Theo Vos ◽  
Chris stevenson

Reviewed by Don Hindle, Visiting Professor, School of Health Services Management,University of New South Wales


2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-80
Author(s):  
Daniel Kwai Apat ◽  
Wellington Digwa

This paper examines mental health policies in relation to African communities residing in New South Wales, Australia and the attitudes of African communities toward mental disorders and mental health services. Current mental health policy frameworks have shown an inadequate inclusion of African communities. This may negatively affect the design of mental health interventions and how African communities engage with mental health services. The available mental health literature on African communities showed disjointed and uncoordinated data which focuses on specific community-groups within African communities. Insufficient mental health or suicide data, combined with African community members’ perception toward mental disorders and mental health services, makes it very difficult to progress engagement and interventions. There is a need for proper and sizable data on mental health related to people of African descent in NSW and Australia wide, if positive outcomes are to be realised.


2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
pp. 1409-1423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel R. Bhaud

Specimens of Mesochaetopterus (Chaetopteridae) from seven geographical sources in the Pacific Ocean are compared on the basis of their hard structures: specialized chaetae, uncinal plates and tubes. There geographical variations are investigated both locally (New South Wales and the Solomon Islands) and over the whole Pacific Ocean from Australia (New South Wales) through the Solomon Islands to Galapagos and Hawaii. The most interesting result is the existence of intra-regional morphological variations with the hard structures differing on specimens sampled in two areas from New South Wales or in two areas from the Solomon Islands out of a total of three areas. These newly described morphologies imply that M. minutus, isolated in a first step from M. sagittarius and confined to the Pacific, is a pseudo-sibling species complex. Each element of this complex is morphologically distinguishable. Consequently the generally accepted role of the long-lived planktonic larvae characteristic of Mesochaetopterus, as a source of geographical homogeneity must be re-examined.


2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (12) ◽  
pp. 677-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. K. Vinod ◽  
A. C. Hui ◽  
N. Esmaili ◽  
M. J. Hensley ◽  
M. B. Barton

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