High chlamydia positivity rates in Indigenous people attending Australian sexual health services.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical epidemiology of chlamydia among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) people attending sexual health services around Australia. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of routine demographic, behavioural and clinical data, between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2011. SETTING: 18 sexual health services in major cities and regional centres in five jurisdictions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Attendance, chlamydia testing and positivity rates in patients visiting for the first time, and factors associated with chlamydia positivity. RESULTS: Of 168 729 new patients, 7103 (4.2%) identified as Indigenous, of whom 74.3% were tested for chlamydia. Chlamydia positivity was 17.0% in Indigenous women (23.3% in 15-19-year-olds and 18.9% in 20-24-year-olds) and 17.3% in Indigenous men (20.2% in 15-19-year-olds and 24.2% in 20-24-year-olds). There was an increasing trend in chlamydia positivity in Indigenous women from 2006 to 2011 (P for trend = 0.001), but not in Indigenous men. In Indigenous women, factors independently associated with positivity were: younger age, being heterosexual, living in Queensland and attending the service in 2010. In Indigenous men, independent factors associated with chlamydia positivity were younger age, being heterosexual, having sex only in Australia and living in a regional area. CONCLUSION: The high and increasing chlamydia positivity rates highlight the need for enhanced prevention and screening programs for Indigenous people.

Attitudes of WA GPs to chlamydia partner notification - A survey.

BACKGROUND: Partner notification is essential to interrupt transmission of sexually transmissible infections. We surveyed the attitudes to partner notification of general practitioners seeing 1-5 cases of chlamydia annually. METHODS: We collected data on chlamydia notifications received in Western Australia from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008. Treating GPs were identified and 200 were randomly selected. RESULTS: One hundred and five (53%) GPs responded. They believed automatic partner notification by the Department of Health occurred following notification (45%) or by ticking the box on the notification form (88%). Ninety-seven percent of GPs encouraged partner notification; 55% ensured it occurred. Printable resources were favoured by 90%, but use of web based resources was low. Practice nurses were seldom involved in partner notification. DISCUSSION: Although GPs believed that partner notification was important, follow up was infrequent. They believed (erroneously) that the Department of Health would routinely undertake partner notification. Printable resources for partner notification would be welcomed.

Gonorrhoea, chlamydia and syphilis incidence in the Kimberley.

The Kimberley region in far-north Western Australia has some of the highest reported incidences of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the nation. This report documents the region's incidence rates of gonorrhoea and syphilis from 1997 to 2001 and of chlamydia from 1993 to 2001. Chlamydia rates have been increasing since 1993 when genital chlamydia became a notifiable disease. By contrast, gonorrhoea rates remained stable from 1997 to 2001. Syphilis rates, which plateaued between 1996 and 2000 following a steep decrease in the previous decade, rose in 2001 in association with a regional syphilis outbreak. Factors important in interpreting changes in STI rates over time include the increased accuracy of more recent census data, the introduction of new and more sensitive diagnostic techniques and the influence of health workforce numbers and skills on STI diagnosis.