title: Are Australian sexual health clinics attracting priority populations?
abstract: To answer a key question ('Are Australian sexual health clinics attracting priority populations?'), we used data from 44 Australian sexual health clinics between 2004 and 2011. We assessed the proportion of patients that were from priority populations (deemed to be at risk of sexually transmissible infections) and compared this to their proportions in the general population using data from Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Study of Health and Relationships. A χ(2)-test was used. A total of 278154 new patients attended during 2004-2011. The proportions from each priority population were significantly higher (P<0.01 for all) than for the general population: young people aged 15-29 years (58.1% v. 20.1%), men who have sex with men (26.0% v. 6.0%), female sex workers (10.8% v. 0.5%), and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (4.2% v. 2.3%). This study confirms that Australian sexual health clinics attract higher proportions of priority populations and are thus meeting their mandate as defined in the 2010-2013 National Sexually Transmissible Infections Strategy.
authors: The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors: Hammad
authors: H
authors: Ali
authors: Basil
authors: B
authors: Donovan
authors: Christopher K
authors: CK
authors: Fairley
authors: Nathan
authors: N
authors: Ryder
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: McNulty
authors: Marcus Y
authors: MY
authors: Chen
authors: Lewis
authors: L
authors: Marshall
authors: Catherine C
authors: CC
authors: O'Connor
authors: Bridget
authors: B
authors: Dickson
authors: Andrew E
authors: AE
authors: Grulich
authors: Margaret E
authors: ME
authors: Hellard
authors: John M
authors: JM
authors: Kaldor
authors: Rebecca J
authors: RJ
authors: Guy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D060728:Reproductive Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D060386:Sex Workers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult