Grulich, Andrew E, de Visser, Richard O, Smith, Anthony M A, Rissel, Chris E and Richters, Juliet (2003) Sex in Australia: sexually transmissible infection and blood-borne virus history in a representative sample of adults. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 27 (2). pp. 234-241. ISSN 1326-0200

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Abstract

Objective: To describe the lifetime and recent history of STIs and BBV, including place of seeking treatment, in a representative sample of Australian adults.

Methods: Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 10,173 men and 9,134 women aged 16–59 years from all States and Territories. The overall response rate was 73.1% (69.4% among men and 77.6% among women).

Results: Overall, 20.2% of men and 16.9% of women had ever been diagnosed with an STI or BBV, and 2.0% and 2.2% respectively had been diagnosed in the past year. The participant's usual general practitioner was the most common location of treatment. Sexual health clinics accounted for a small proportion of treatment locations. Predictors of recent STI or BBV diagnosis in men included homosexual or bisexual identity, a history of sex work as a worker or client, a history of injecting drugs and having more than one partner in the past year. In women, predictors included bisexual identity, history of sex work as a worker, injecting drug use, and having more than one partner in the past year. Around 40% of men and women had been tested for HIV and in homosexually identified men, 77% had been tested.

Conclusion: STIs and BBVs are common infections in Australia and care is mostly received from general practitioners. Although a variety of predictors, including homosexual or bisexual identity, injecting drug use and sex work were related to STI diagnosis, STIs were not uncommon among people without these risk factors.

Implications: General practitioners in Australia require a high level of expertise to recognise, offer testing, and manage common STIs and BBVs.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	School of Psychology > Psychology
Depositing User:	Richard De Visser
Date Deposited:	06 Feb 2012 15:32
Last Modified:	22 Jun 2012 08:43
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/13132

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