- Title
- Community and clinic-based screening for curable sexually transmissible infections in a high prevalence setting in Australia: a retrospective longitudinal analysis of clinical service data from 2006 to 2009
- Creator
- Silver, Bronwyn; Kaldor, John M.; Rumbold, Alice; Ward, James; Smith, Kirsty; Dyda, Amalie; Ryder, Nathan; Yip, Teem-Wing; Su, Jiunn-Yih; Guy, Rebecca J.
- Relation
- Sexual Health Vol. 13, Issue 2, p. 140-147
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/SH15077
- Publisher
- C S I R O Publishing
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2016
- Description
- Background In response to the high prevalence of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) in many central Australian Aboriginal communities, a community-wide screening program was implemented to supplement routine primary health care (PHC) clinic testing. The uptake and outcomes of these two approaches were compared. Methods: Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) community and clinic screening data for Aboriginal people aged 15-34 years, 2006-2009, were used. Regression analyses assessed predictors of the first test occurring in the community screen, positivity and repeat testing. Results: A total of 2792 individuals had 9402 tests (median: four per person) over 4 years. Approximately half of the individuals (54%) were tested in the community and clinic approaches combined, 29% (n=806) in the community screen only and 18% (n=490) in the clinic only. Having the first test in a community screen was associated with being male and being aged 15-19 years. There was no difference between community and clinic approaches in CT or NG positivity at first test. More than half (55%) of individuals had a repeat test within 2-15 months and of these, 52% accessed different approaches at each test. The only independent predictor of repeat testing was being 15-19 years. Conclusions: STI screening is an important PHC activity and the findings highlight the need for further support for clinics to reach young people. The community screen approach was shown to be a useful complementary approach; however, cost and sustainability need to be considered.
- Subject
- Aboriginal Australians; chlamydia trachomatis; neisseria gonorrhoeae; screening; STI
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1348054
- Identifier
- uon:30138
- Identifier
- ISSN:1448-5028
- Language
- eng
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