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Unlabelled: 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an assessment of notification trends for chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections in Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in 2000-2009. Chlamydia is deemed Australia's most commonly notified infectious disease, with 80,800 diagnoses in 2011 and notification rate three times more among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than non-Indigenous people. Findings highlight the need for targeted prevention programs for young, especially Aboriginal people in remote areas.

The article discusses a study on trends in notification and testing for genital gonorrhoea in the Darwin Remote District (DRD) of Northern Territory, Australia during the period 2004-2008. It cites the use of population-based notification and testing data to investigate the trends in notification of testing and prevalence of genital gonorrhoea. The study provided evidence explaining the rise and fall of gonorrhoea notification rates in DRD which rose between 2004 and 2005 and declined until 2008. It indicates a significant decreasing trend in the notification rate of gonorrhoea in the DRD between 2005 and 2008 most like due to a decrease in prevalence and suggests the importance of incorporating regular collection and analysis of the data into the surveillance system for STIs.