Integrating testing for sexually transmissible infections into annual health assessments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people: A cross-sectional analysis
Publication Details
McCormack, H.,
Wand, H.,
Bourne, C.,
Ward, S. P.,
Bradley, C.,
Mak, D. B.,
&
Guy, R.
(2023).
Integrating testing for sexually transmissible infections into annual health assessments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people: A cross-sectional analysis.
Sexual Health, Early View (Online First).
Abstract
Background: In the context of an expanding syphilis epidemic, we assessed the integration of sexually transmissible infection (STI) testing within annual health assessments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people aged 1629 years in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services between 2018 and 2020.
Methods: Using routinely collected electronic medical record data from a national sentinel surveillance system (ATLAS), we performed a cross-sectional analysis to calculate the proportion of assessments that integrated any or all of the tests for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, and HIV. We used logistic regression to identify correlates of integration of any STI test.
Results: Of the13 892 assessments, 23.8% (95% CI 23.1, 24.6) integrated a test for any STI and 11.5% (95% CI 10.9, 12.0) included all four STIs. Of assessments that included a chlamydia/gonorrhoea test, 66.9% concurrently included a syphilis test. Integration of any STI test was associated with patients aged 2024 years (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.11.4) and 2529 years (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.01.2) compared to 1619 years and patients residing in very remote (OR 4.2, 95% CI 3.74.8), remote (OR 2.4, 95% CI 2.12.8), and regional areas (OR 2.5, 95% CI 2.22.8) compared to metropolitan areas. There was no association with patient sex.
Conclusions: Integration of STI testing into annual health assessments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people was higher in remote areas where disease burden is greatest. Integration is similar in men and women, which contrasts with most studies that have found higher testing in women.
Keywords
epidemiology, health promotion, health services, HIV prevention, interventions, Medicare Benefits Schedule Item 715, prevention, sexually transmissible infections, social determinants, statistics
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