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Sexual Health Sexual Health Society
Publishing on sexual health from the widest perspective
Sexual Health

Sexual Health

Volume 19 Number 3 2022

SH22009Burden of trichomoniasis among older adults in the United States: a systematic review

Alyssa R. Lindrose 0000-0002-0952-1975, Kyaw Zin Htet, Samantha O’Connell, James Marsh and Patricia J. Kissinger
pp. 151-156

This article reviews the reported burden of trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted infection (STI), in older adults in the United States. Among adults aged 45+ years, the estimated prevalence of trichomoniasis during the years 1993–2016 ranged widely, from 0.2% to 21.4%. The risk of trichomoniasis in this population is still understudied, and some older adults may be at an underappreciated risk for STIs.


Social norms impact sexual health behaviours, particularly among young people. In a large, national survey of Australian youth aged 14–18 years, over half of sexually active respondents reported condom use during their last sexual experience; condom use was more frequent among respondents who perceived that all same-aged peers used condoms. Future sexuality education interventions may emphasise that most young people choose to use condoms.

SH21241‘The chances are zero’: a qualitative study on perceived susceptibility to pregnancy among women experiencing homelessness

Annalynn M. Galvin 0000-0003-0868-8316, Ashvita Garg 0000-0003-4930-1712, Stacey B. Griner 0000-0002-2774-5841, Anelise K. Diener and Erika L. Thompson 0000-0002-7115-0001
pp. 164-171

As women experiencing homelessness are at higher risk of unintended pregnancy and have less access to contraception, this study explored how contraception affected perceived risk of pregnancy. The 19 women experiencing homelessness were asked about how contraception affected pregnancy risk, pregnancy desire, pregnancy attitudes, and current contraception use. Interview themes included contraception efficacy, positive pregnancy desire, and abstinence, which may explain the lack of actual contraception use and better explain contraception and pregnancy preferences for women experiencing homelessness.

SH21251Outness and its correlates among gay and bisexual men attending university in China: a cross-sectional study

Yuqing Hu 0000-0001-8509-2271, Song Fan, Peiyang Li, Hongbo Jiang 0000-0002-0631-4460, Yinguang Fan, Tanwei Yuan, Xinyi Zhou, Yanxiao Gao, Leiwen Fu, Yuewei Zhan, Huicui Meng, Yawen Jiang, Jinqiu Yuan, Xiaojun Meng and Huachun Zou 0000-0002-8161-7576
pp. 172-181

Studies have reported the associations between outness and mental and sexual health among gay and bisexual men, but the conclusions are inconsistent. Our study was the first to focus on outness and associated factors and found group sex was correlated with outness among GBM attending university. The results indicate that more attention needs to focus on non-disclosed GBM attending university through peer education or other ways.

SH21198Rumination, risk, and response: a qualitative analysis of sexual health anxiety among online sexual health chat service users

Sarah Watt 0000-0001-5202-9874, Travis Salway, Oralia Gómez-Ramírez, Aidan Ablona, Lindsay Barton, Hsiu-Ju Chang, Heather Pedersen, Devon Haag, Joelle LeMoult and Mark Gilbert
pp. 182-191

Anxiety is common among sexual health service users, yet little is known about anxiety in online sexual health settings. Using data from an online sexual health service chat service staffed by sexual health nurses, we explored anxiety among chat users. Our findings suggest that anxiety related to sexual health – in particular HIV – is a source of persistent distress among chat users, and highlight opportunities to improve connections to appropriate mental health supports.


This paper describes a cross-sectional study done in Singapore in 2020, and reports findings concerning intimate partner violence (IPV) before and during COVID-19 lockdown measures, and its associated socio-demographic factors. Notably, factors associated with IPV both before and during lockdown include: being non-heterosexual, being younger and having more young people in the household. Support systems for IPV victim-survivors should be more accessible, trauma-informed and victim-centric, keeping in mind unique demographic groups that may be more vulnerable to IPV.


Little research exists on impulsive personality traits (IPTs) in first- and second-year college students who are curious about sex but lack HIV knowledge and safe sex awareness. This cross-sectional study revealed that the students with a greater level of IPTs were more likely to have a high level of HIV stigma and a low level of HIV knowledge and HIV prevention beliefs. Our findings provoke thinking about future campus health education.

SH21133Individual and network factors associated with HIV self-testing among men who have sex with men in resource-limited settings in China

Xing Yang 0000-0002-0860-6037, Li Jiang, Ting Fang, Jiegang Huang, Sumin Tan, Chunyan Lu, Jiawen Zhu, Haimei Huang, Min Wang, Yun Zhang, Hao Liang, Ping Cen and Chuanyi Ning
pp. 212-223

The HIV self-testing coverage among MSM in resource-limited settings is suboptimal. Social networks could play a direct or indirect role in the HIV self-testing behaviour of MSM. Integrating social networks into testing and prevention services may be viable to control the HIV epidemic in both male–male and male–female interactions in resource-limited settings.

SH21185Fanconi syndrome in a patient receiving pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV infection: case report

Douglas Drak 0000-0001-6900-2029, Jasper Lin 0000-0003-2660-3558, Andrew Gowers and David M. Gracey
pp. 224-227

This is the first reported case of Fanconi syndrome in a patient receiving HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Australia. This case highlights the potential for significant kidney injury with PrEP use, but also demonstrates how such injuries can be reversed on prompt discontinuation of PrEP. Regular monitoring of kidney function, particularly for older patients or those with pre-existing kidney disease, is therefore essential.

SH22061Hepatitis A testing and susceptibility in men who have sex with men: an unintended benefit of PrEP

Mahmoud Gouda, Colin Fitzpatrick, Deborah Williams and Daniel Richardson 0000-0003-0955-6307
pp. 228-229

Hepatitis A is a sexually transmitted enteric infection in men who have sex with men (MSM) and vaccination is recommended to prevent outbreaks. In this paper, we evaluated if screening and susceptibility has changed due to HIV-PrEP. MSM were significantly more likely to be screened for Hepatitis A susceptibility in 2021 (201/206, 93%) than in 2019 (208/372, 56%) however susceptibility to Hepatitis A did not change between in 2021 (96/216, 48%) and 2019 (98/372, 47%). De-medicalising HIV-PrEP is important as it will increase overall uptake. However, coupling HIV-PrEP with other sexual health interventions must not be lost.


Annual digital ano-rectal examination (DARE) is recommended in Australian Guidelines as an anal cancer screening test for people aged ≥45 years living with HIV. We assessed the baseline frequency of DARE discussion and recommendation to men who have sex with men attending our clinic for HIV care and used a quality improvement approach to increase DARE recommendations to this patient group. This audit can be replicated in other services.

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