Sexual healthPub Date : 2024-05-01DOI: 10.1071/SH23176
Krishen D Samuel, Matthew S Ellis, Mance E Buttram
{"title":"The impact of socio-environmental factors on doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis awareness in the US: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Krishen D Samuel, Matthew S Ellis, Mance E Buttram","doi":"10.1071/SH23176","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/SH23176","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Background We investigated awareness and use of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) in the US. DoxyPEP has preventative benefits for bacterial STIs among people assigned male at birth. We considered how individual, interpersonal and social determinants of health, such as state-level LGBTQ equality, impact doxyPEP awareness. Methods We conducted an online snapshot cross-sectional survey in June 2023. Survey questions included demographics, sexual and substance use behaviours, and socio-environmental factors, and provided a short explanation of doxyPEP, with questions regarding prior awareness and use. Results Among a racially diverse sample of 196 participants (median age 33 years), 94% identified as cisgender men, 26% were aware of doxyPEP, whereas only 14 (7%) had ever used it. Factors significantly associated with awareness included being college educated (OR 2.50, 95% CI 1.09-5.74), a past year bacterial STI (OR 4.20, 95% CI 1.97-8.89), having discussed HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis with a health care provider (OR 3.88, 95% CI 1.99-7.57) and having taken HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.11-4.70). Socio-environmental factors associated with doxyPEP awareness included living in a large urban city (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.12-4.10) and living in a state with higher levels of LGBTQ policy equality (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.07-4.44). Conclusions Considering the disproportionate impact of bacterial STIs on men who have sex with men, especially those living in lower LGBTQ equality regions, such as the Southern US, our study emphasises how socio-environmental factors may limit awareness and uptake of novel biomedical approaches that have the potential to prevent morbidity and enhance sexual health.</p>","PeriodicalId":22165,"journal":{"name":"Sexual health","volume":"21 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140917168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sexual healthPub Date : 2024-05-01DOI: 10.1071/SH24019
Leah Moncrieff, Morgan O'Reilly, Leanne Hall, Clare Heal
{"title":"Interventions aimed at increasing syphilis screening among non-pregnant individuals in healthcare settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Leah Moncrieff, Morgan O'Reilly, Leanne Hall, Clare Heal","doi":"10.1071/SH24019","DOIUrl":"10.1071/SH24019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Syphilis remains a pressing public health concern with potential severe morbidity if left untreated. To improve syphilis screening, targeted interventions are crucial, especially in at-risk populations. This systematic review synthesises studies that compare syphilis screening in the presence and absence of an intervention. A systematic search of four databases was conducted (Medline, Embase, Cinahl and Scopus). The primary outcomes evaluated included syphilis screening, re-screening and detection rates. Findings were synthesised narratively. Where multiple studies were clinically heterogenous, a pooled odds ratio was calculated. Twenty-four studies were included. A variety of interventions showed promise including clinician alerts, which increased syphilis screening rate (OR range, 1.25-1.45) and patient SMS reminders that mostly improved re-screening/re-attendance rates (OR range, 0.93-4.4). Coupling syphilis serology with routine HIV monitoring increased the proportion of HIV-positive individuals undergoing both tests. However, pooling three studies with this intervention using the outcome of syphilis detection rate yielded inconclusive results (pooled OR 1.722 [95% CI 0.721-2.723], I 2 =24.8%, P =0.264). The introduction of hospital-based packaged testing for screening high-risk individuals is unique given hospitals are not typical locations for public health initiatives. Nurse-led clinics and clinician incentives were successful strategies. Including syphilis screening with other existing programs has potential to increase screening rates (OR range, 1.06-2.08), but requires further investigation. Technology-driven interventions produced cost-effective, feasible and positive outcomes. Challenges were evident in achieving guideline-recommended screening frequencies for men who have sex with men, indicating the need for multifaceted approaches. Wider application of these interventions may improve syphilis screening and detection rates.</p>","PeriodicalId":22165,"journal":{"name":"Sexual health","volume":"21 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141076970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sexual healthPub Date : 2024-05-01DOI: 10.1071/SH24017
N Wells, B Richman, D Grace, B Riley, C Hui, L Vojnov, L Stackpool-Moore, J J Ong, A Dowell-Day, B Allan
{"title":"2023 Undetectable = Untransmittable global policy roundtable report: a multistakeholder perspective on Undetectable = Untransmittable research and policy priorities.","authors":"N Wells, B Richman, D Grace, B Riley, C Hui, L Vojnov, L Stackpool-Moore, J J Ong, A Dowell-Day, B Allan","doi":"10.1071/SH24017","DOIUrl":"10.1071/SH24017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Background Launched in 2016 by Prevention Access Campaign, the 'Undetectable=Untransmittable' (U=U) campaign empowers people living with HIV to live full social, sexual and reproductive lives, dismantle stigma, promote increased treatment access, and advocate for updated HIV guidelines. Methods Key priorities for promoting improvements to community-centred, evidence-informed U=U policy and research were the focus of a half-day global roundtable held in 2023 alongside the 12th International AIDS Society Conference in Brisbane, Australia. After a series of presentations, experts in U=U research, policymaking, advocacy and HIV clinical care participated in facilitated discussions, and detailed notes were taken on issues related to advancing U=U policy and research. Results Expert participants shared that knowledge and trust in U=U remains uneven, and is largely concentrated among people living with HIV, particularly those connected to gay and bisexual networks. It was agreed that there is a need to ensure all members of priority populations are explicitly included in U=U policies that promote U=U. Participants also identified a need for policymakers, healthcare professionals, advocates and researchers to work closely with community-based organisations to ensure the U=U message is relevant, useful, and utilised in the HIV response. Adopting language, such as 'zero risk', was identified as crucial when describing undetectable viral load as an effective HIV prevention strategy. Conclusion U=U can have significant benefits for the mental and physical wellbeing of people living with HIV. There is an urgent need to address the structural barriers to HIV care and treatment access to ensure the full benefits of U=U are realised.</p>","PeriodicalId":22165,"journal":{"name":"Sexual health","volume":"21 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141156824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sexual healthPub Date : 2024-05-01DOI: 10.1071/SH24025
Emily F Galper, Laura Widman, Julia Brasileiro, Seth M Noar
{"title":"Adolescents' pornography viewing frequency and its relationship with condom attitudes.","authors":"Emily F Galper, Laura Widman, Julia Brasileiro, Seth M Noar","doi":"10.1071/SH24025","DOIUrl":"10.1071/SH24025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Background This study examined adolescent pornography viewing and its' relationship with condom attitudes. Methods Data were from 457 adolescents aged 13-18years old who completed an online survey assessing pornography viewing frequency and condom attitudes. Results Many adolescents in our sample had viewed pornography in the past year (n =188, 41%), with pornography viewing frequency being higher among older adolescents (P =0.02), those who have had sex in the past year (P =0.001), and those who identified as White (P =0.01), LGB+ (P =0.05), and male (P =0.001). Adolescents who viewed pornography more frequently had more negative condom attitudes (r =-0.18, P Conclusions A substantial proportion of adolescents in our sample viewed pornography and those who view more frequently had more negative condom attitudes. Results indicate a need for experimental studies examining this relationship and interventions addressing pornography literacy among adolescents.</p>","PeriodicalId":22165,"journal":{"name":"Sexual health","volume":"21 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141071900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sexual healthPub Date : 2024-05-01DOI: 10.1071/SH24026
Chunyan Wang, Yan Che, Yumei Zhang, Tingfeng Guan, Jie Wang, Xinying Du
{"title":"Analysis of pelvic floor muscle electromyography parameters in women with or without sexual dysfunction.","authors":"Chunyan Wang, Yan Che, Yumei Zhang, Tingfeng Guan, Jie Wang, Xinying Du","doi":"10.1071/SH24026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/SH24026","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Background To investigate the differences in pelvic floor muscle (PFM) electromyography (EMG) parameters between women with or without sexual dysfunction (FSD) and their correlations. Methods Women who voluntarily participated in a questionnaire-based survey on sexual function and underwent PFM EMG in Weifang People's Hospital during the period from March 2021 to December 2021 were retrospectively enrolled. The female sexual (dys)function was measured using the Female Sexual Function Index. Glazer PFM EMG was performed using a Melander instrument (MLD A2 Deluxe). The differences in PFM EMG parameters between women with or without FSD were compared, and the relationships between PFM EMG parameters and FSD were analysed using multiple linear regression models. Results A total of 305 women were enrolled, with 163 in the FSD group and 142 in the non-FSD group. Comparisons of PFM EMG parameters between these two groups revealed that the FSD group had significantly higher peak EMG amplitude during the phasic (flick) contractions and shorter recovery latency during the tonic contractions than the non-FSD group (both P P Conclusions The results of the pelvic floor EMG in this study suggest that the pelvic floor muscles of women with FSD may be more susceptible to fatigue, and may have poorer coordination of their pelvic floor muscles.</p>","PeriodicalId":22165,"journal":{"name":"Sexual health","volume":"21 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140923200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sexual healthPub Date : 2024-05-01DOI: 10.1071/SH23197
Rayner Kay Jin Tan, Dilruk Perera, Salomi Arasaratnam, Yudara Kularathne
{"title":"Adapting an artificial intelligence sexually transmitted diseases symptom checker tool for Mpox detection: the HeHealth experience.","authors":"Rayner Kay Jin Tan, Dilruk Perera, Salomi Arasaratnam, Yudara Kularathne","doi":"10.1071/SH23197","DOIUrl":"10.1071/SH23197","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications have shown promise in the management of pandemics. In response to the global Monkeypox (Mpox) outbreak, the HeHealth.ai team leveraged an existing tool to screen for sexually transmitted diseases (STD) to develop a digital screening test for symptomatic Mpox using AI. Before the global Mpox outbreak, the team developed a smartphone app (HeHealth) where app users can use a smartphone to photograph their own penises to screen for symptomatic STD. The AI model initially used 5000 cases and a modified convolutional neural network to output prediction scores across visually diagnosable penis pathologies including syphilis, herpes simplex virus, and human papillomavirus. A total of about 22,000 users had downloaded the HeHealth app, and ~21,000 images were analysed using HeHealth AI technology. We then used formative research, stakeholder engagement, rapid consolidation images, a validation study, and implementation of the tool. A total of 1000 Mpox-related images had been used to train the Mpox symptom checker tool. Based on an internal validation, our digital symptom checker tool showed specificity of 87% and sensitivity of 90% for symptomatic Mpox. Several hurdles identified included issues of data privacy and security for app users, initial lack of data to train the AI tool, and the potential generalisability of input data. We offer several suggestions to help others get started on similar projects in emergency situations, including engaging a wide range of stakeholders, having a multidisciplinary team, prioritising pragmatism, as well as the concept that 'big data' in fact is made up of 'small data'.</p>","PeriodicalId":22165,"journal":{"name":"Sexual health","volume":"21 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140923198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sexual healthPub Date : 2024-04-29DOI: 10.1071/sh23194
Lise Lafferty, Clinton Rautenbach, Anna McNulty, Nathan Ryder, Carolyn Slattery, Rebecca Houghton, Aurelie Kenigsberg, Carolyn Murray, Nigel Carrington, Prital Patel
{"title":"Client and staff perceptions of acceptability of MyCheck: a direct-to-pathology telehealth and e-testing service for comprehensive bloodborne virus and sexually transmissible infection screening","authors":"Lise Lafferty, Clinton Rautenbach, Anna McNulty, Nathan Ryder, Carolyn Slattery, Rebecca Houghton, Aurelie Kenigsberg, Carolyn Murray, Nigel Carrington, Prital Patel","doi":"10.1071/sh23194","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/sh23194","url":null,"abstract":"<strong> Background</strong><p>Sydney Sexual Health Centre (SSHC) is the largest sexual health clinic in New South Wales (NSW), servicing clients at high risk of sexually transmissible infections and bloodborne viruses. SSHC piloted a direct-to-pathology pathway that facilitated bloodborne virus/sexually transmissible infection testing at one of the ~500 participating pathology collection centres located across NSW. This qualitative study sought to understand SSHC client and provider perspectives of acceptability of the MyCheck intervention.</p><strong> Methods</strong><p>Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 clients who underwent testing via the MyCheck pathway and eight staff members involved in implementing MyCheck. The seven components of Sekhon’s Theoretical Framework of Acceptability informed this analysis.</p><strong> Results</strong><p>Participants broadly conveyed ‘affective attitude’ toward the MyCheck pathway. The telehealth intervention reduced client ‘burden’ and ‘opportunity cost’ through enabling greater testing convenience at a location suitable to them and provided timely results. Issues of ‘ethicality’ were raised by clients and staff as pathology centre staff were, on a few occasions, regarded as being judgmental of SSHC clients. ‘Intervention coherence’ issues were largely attributed to pathology centre personnel being unfamiliar with the intervention, with billing issues being a recurrent concern. Participants perceived MyCheck as an ‘effective’ testing pathway. SSHC staff were able to offer the intervention with ease through seamless IT integration (‘self-efficacy’).</p><strong> Conclusion</strong><p>The MyCheck intervention was perceived by both SSHC clients and staff as an acceptable bloodborne virus/sexually transmissible infection testing pathway. However, further work is required to address stigma experienced by some clients when attending pathology collection centres.</p>","PeriodicalId":22165,"journal":{"name":"Sexual health","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140836459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sexual healthPub Date : 2024-04-29DOI: 10.1071/sh23210
Jenna Nitkowski, Timothy J. Ridolfi, Sarah J. Lundeen, Anna R. Giuliano, Elizabeth Y. Chiao, Maria E. Fernandez, Vanessa Schick, Jennifer S. Smith, Bridgett Brzezinski, Alan G. Nyitray
{"title":"The influence of home versus clinic anal human papillomavirus sampling on high-resolution anoscopy uptake in the Prevent Anal Cancer Self-Swab Study","authors":"Jenna Nitkowski, Timothy J. Ridolfi, Sarah J. Lundeen, Anna R. Giuliano, Elizabeth Y. Chiao, Maria E. Fernandez, Vanessa Schick, Jennifer S. Smith, Bridgett Brzezinski, Alan G. Nyitray","doi":"10.1071/sh23210","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/sh23210","url":null,"abstract":"<strong> Background</strong><p>Anal cancer disproportionately affects sexual and gender minority individuals living with HIV. High-resolution anoscopy (HRA) is an in-clinic procedure to detect precancerous anal lesions and cancer, yet prospective data on factors associated with HRA attendance are lacking. We examined whether anal HPV sampling at home versus in a clinic impacts HRA uptake and assessed HRA acceptability.</p><strong> Methods</strong><p>Sexual and gender minority individuals were randomised to home-based self-sampling or clinical sampling. All were asked to attend in-clinic HRA 1 year later. We regressed HRA attendance on study arm using multivariable Poisson regression and assessed HRA acceptability using <i>χ</i><sup>2</sup> tests.</p><strong> Results</strong><p>A total of 62.8% of 196 participants who engaged in screening attended HRA. Although not significant (<i>P</i> = 0.13), a higher proportion of participants who engaged in clinic-based screening attended HRA (68.5%) compared to home-based participants (57.9%). Overall, HRA uptake was higher among participants with anal cytology history (aRR 1.40, 95% CI 1.07–1.82), and lower among participants preferring a versatile anal sex position versus insertive (aRR 0.70, 95% CI 0.53–0.91), but did not differ by race or HIV serostatus. In the clinic arm, persons living with HIV had lower HRA attendance (42.9%) versus HIV-negative participants (73.3%) (<i>P</i> = 0.02) and Black non-Hispanic participants had lower HRA attendance (41.7%) than White non-Hispanic participants (73.1%), (<i>P</i> = 0.04). No differences in attendance by race or HIV status were observed in the home arm.</p><strong> Conclusions</strong><p>HRA uptake differed significantly by race and HIV status in the clinic arm but not the home arm.</p>","PeriodicalId":22165,"journal":{"name":"Sexual health","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140836751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sexual healthPub Date : 2024-04-29DOI: 10.1071/sh24028
Daniel Tran, Brent Allan, Alexandra Stratigos, Darryl O’Donnell, Dash Heath-Paynter, Aaron Cogle, Jason J. Ong
{"title":"The use of suboptimal antiretroviral therapy when applying for migration to Australia: a case series","authors":"Daniel Tran, Brent Allan, Alexandra Stratigos, Darryl O’Donnell, Dash Heath-Paynter, Aaron Cogle, Jason J. Ong","doi":"10.1071/sh24028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/sh24028","url":null,"abstract":"<strong> Background</strong><p>Australia imposes restrictions for people living with HIV (PLHIV) applying for permanent residency (PR), including spending less than AUD51,000 on medical costs over 10 years. Some PLHIV opted for suboptimal and cheaper antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens to increase their chances of receiving PR. We collated a case series to examine PLHIV on suboptimal ART because of visa issues.</p><strong> Methods</strong><p>We identified all patients applying for a PR in Australia who obtained nevirapine, efavirenz or zidovudine between July 2022 and July 2023 from the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre. Pathology results and records detailing psychological issues relating to the patients’ wishes to remain on suboptimal ART were extracted from clinical records by two researchers.</p><strong> Results</strong><p>We identified six patients with a mean age of 39 years migrating from Asian and European countries. Three patients used efavirenz, and three used nevirapine. All desired to remain on cheaper, suboptimal ART to stay below visa cost thresholds, which they considered to aid favourably with their application. Four displayed stress and anxiety arising from visa rejections, appeal deadlines and the lengthy visa application process.</p><strong> Conclusions</strong><p>Despite access to more effective and safer ART, we identified patients who chose to remain on cheaper ART to improve chances of obtaining an Australian visa, potentially putting their health at risk. We found significant evidence of stress and anxiety among patients. There is a need to review and revise current migration policies and laws in Australia that discriminate against PLHIV and jeopardise public health.</p>","PeriodicalId":22165,"journal":{"name":"Sexual health","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140836352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sexual healthPub Date : 2024-04-11DOI: 10.1071/sh23175
Aleah Kink, Janet M. Towns, Christopher K. Fairley, Tiffany R. Phillips, Catriona S. Bradshaw, Eric P. F. Chow
{"title":"Management of acute sexual assault presenting to a large Australian sexual health clinic in 2012–2021: a retrospective clinical audit","authors":"Aleah Kink, Janet M. Towns, Christopher K. Fairley, Tiffany R. Phillips, Catriona S. Bradshaw, Eric P. F. Chow","doi":"10.1071/sh23175","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/sh23175","url":null,"abstract":"<strong> Background</strong><p>The incidence of sexual assault continues to rise in Australia. This study aimed to describe the nature of assault, HIV/STI positivity, and its management at a sexual health clinic.</p><strong> Methods</strong><p>We performed a chart review of 516 sexual assault cases presenting to Melbourne Sexual Health Centre between 2012 and 2021, collecting data on victim demographics, details of assault, HIV/STI testing and positivity, police involvement, and offer of counselling.</p><strong> Results</strong><p>We included 516 cases: 124 males (24.0%); 384 females (74.4%); and eight transgender (1.6%) victims. The proportion of assault cases presenting to Melbourne Sexual Health Centre increased from 0.1% (37/37,070) in 2012 to 0.2% (56/36,514) in 2021 (<i>P</i><sub>trend</sub> = 0.006). HIV post-exposure prophylaxis was prescribed for 64.5% (80/124) of males and 12.5% (48/384) of females. Among victims, 69.4% (358/516) were tested for HIV and no one tested positive, while 71.9% (371/516) were tested for syphilis, with 1.6% (6/371) positive. Gonorrhoea and chlamydia were tested at the oropharynx (44.8% [231/516] vs 28.7% [148/516]), genitals (83.7% [432/516] vs 92.4% [477/516]) and anorectum (35.3% [182/516] vs 35.3% [182/516]). Positivity for gonorrhoea and chlamydia were: 2.6% (6/231) vs 2.0% (3/148) at oropharynx, 1.4% (6/432) vs 2.9% (14/477) at genitals, and 5.5% (10/182) vs 7.1% (13/182) at anorectum. According to clinical records, 25.2% (130/516) of victims sought police involvement, and 71.7% (370/516) were offered counselling.</p><strong> Conclusions</strong><p>Sexual assault was an uncommon presentation at Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, with diverse circumstances surrounding assault; however, clinical documentation varied, indicating a need for a standard primary care protocol for clients presenting with acute sexual assault.</p>","PeriodicalId":22165,"journal":{"name":"Sexual health","volume":"46 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140581136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}