Sexually transmissible infections disproportionately affect young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote communities. A sexual health peer education program was implemented that saw improvements in knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. This highlights the value of peer education as a sexual health intervention in remote Australia.

Lay perceptions of human papillomavirus virus (HPV) and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have changed over time. This study explores how HPV and HIV are often conflated or confused, and reveals misperceptions about the severity and prevalence of HPV and HIV. These findings hold important implications for understanding sexual risk behaviour and, as a result, can inform the practices of both healthcare providers and public health professionals.

Male sex workers (MSWs) in the US Northeast face high levels of hazardous drinking and frequently engage in sex work while drunk, leading to physical and mental health risks. Sex work stigma is associated with higher problematic drinking, particularly for MSWs who identify as gay compared with non-gay MSWs. MSWs with small social networks are more vulnerable to the negative effects of sex work stigma on problematic drinking, suggesting social networks can be protective.

Rectal douching was a common practice among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China, with a prevalence of 57.3%. MSM who engage in high-risk behaviours, including condom-less anal intercourse, receptive anal sex and sex with alcohol, are more likely to douche. MSM tend to have a misconception that rectal douching can prevent HIV infection and the transmission of sexually transmissible infections (STIs); consequently, guidance on douching is needed among this group for the prevention of HIV and STIs.

Elimination of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the Netherlands is possible if vaccination levels are sufficiently high among populations that are not covered by the universal childhood vaccination program started in 2011. In this study only 60% of men who have sex with men (MSM) reported full vaccination, and we identified factors that provide guidance for the development of health promotion interventions, such as focusing on settings where unvaccinated MSM reside or tailoring promotion message to appeal to those who perceive themselves at low risk.

Although vaginismus is a condition that can be treated with high success rates, it is important to determine the factors that could affect treatment success in patients, because unsuccessful treatment may have lifelong effects on a patient’s ability to have sexual intercourse. In this study, the presence of impotence or premature ejaculation and depression or anxiety in spouses of individuals with vaginismus increased sexual dysfunction and decreased the success of the treatment process. Future studies could re-evaluate male sexual function and couples’ psychiatric symptoms after treatment to provide a stronger perspective.

A move away from empirically treating asymptomatic sexual contacts of gonorrhoea would conserve first-line antibiotics for confirmed infections, but we do not know whether this change in practice would be acceptable to patients. We surveyed the views of sexual health clinic attendees about empirical and non-empirical treatment models and found that most would agree to return for treatment of a positive result. Those who live in regional and remote areas were less likely to agree with non-empirical treatment.