Patient-delivered partner therapy (PDPT) involves providing a prescription or medication to a patient with chlamydia to pass to their sexual partner/s, but clinicians have expressed uncertainty about its permissibility and integration into practice. We surveyed clinician perspectives on updated health authority guidance for PDPT; finding they largely viewed it as supportive for PDPT decision-making and addressed some practical barriers. Low awareness of the updated guidance, and medico-legal concerns, for some, highlight scope for further dissemination and clarification of PDPT permissibility.

Quality of life (QOL) is an important priority for people living with HIV (PLHIV). Using a patient-reported outcome measure (PozQol tool), we found that 58% of PLHIV reported a high or very high QOL, and socio-demographic factors such as Medicare-ineligibility and unemployment were associated with lower QOL scores. PozQol may assist services by enhancing understanding of QOL among PLHIV, guide local and national policy, health service provision, and promote empowerment of individuals to better understand their own QOL.

Although designed to protect patients, the penicillin allergy label on medical records is associated with increased use of less effective, more toxic and more expensive antibiotics. This study found that patients with the label were significantly less likely to receive first-line treatment (ceftriaxone) for gonorrhoea infection, even if they were likely able to tolerate the antibiotic. This impact on antibiotic prescribing is detrimental to patient care, healthcare costs and antimicrobial stewardship, and may occur in other jurisdictions, populations and care settings.

Research has shown that there is a need for culturally responsive sexual and reproductive health care for international students from China. This study evaluated a team-based model of care that involved a practice nurse who spoke Mandarin, and had advanced skills in sexual health care, who provided preventive care advice followed by a consultation with a GP. The model was well received by both patients and GPs; however, the challenge is finding appropriate mechanisms of funding for this model of care in Australian general practice.

Sexually transmissible infections (STIs) rates among young Australians are increasing with young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples disproportionately affected. Similar patterns of key risk behaviours, and greater engagement in sexual health care among young Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, refute suggestions that higher STI rates are caused by this population engaging in more risky behaviour compared to their non-Indigenous peers. Social determinants of health and STI rates among sexual networks should be priorities for future research and intervention.

The success of HIV self-testing requires the user to accurately use the self-test, interpret the result, and be linked to relevant follow-up services. We summarised the systems and tools that have been used to support users through the self-testing process (‘support systems’), and found a diverse range of support systems, including pictorial instructions, in-person support, and virtual tools. We have developed a typology to categorise these support systems, which can be used as a framework for further research.

Gonorrhoea incidence is rising, and international studies have found that extragenital gonorrhoea positivity has increased at a faster rate than urogenital positivity among men who have sex with men. Data about extragenital gonorrhoea infection in New Zealand is lacking. Using data from a sexual health service, this study shows that extragenital infection is common, occurs without urogenital infection at high rates, and has increased at a faster rate than urogenital infection among males, highlighting the importance of extragenital sampling.

Practical tools to enhance the sustainability of sexual health programs are needed. Early planning, strong community engagement, consideration of financing, and multi-sectoral partnerships can all be used to increase sustainability. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief demonstrates several of these lessons in the context of global sexual health programs.

Now available for the first time to young women and people with a cervix (aged 25–29 years), self-collection cervical screening is a safe, accurate and easy method to complete regular cervical screening without the use of a speculum. However, the best ways to communicate and promote self-collection to this age group has not been researched. This is important, because self-collection creates a positive screening experience, and will encourage young people to continue screening throughout their life, ultimately preventing cervical cancer.

In June 2023, a roundtable of experts and stakeholders was held in Singapore focusing on the introduction of long-acting formulations of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in Asia, particularly long-acting injectable cabotegravir. This paper describes issues discussed at the roundtable related to preparedness in research and implementation science, product licensing and accessibility, and capacity readiness for scale-up of long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis and future pre-exposure prophylaxis products.