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REVIEW
Contents Vol 2(4)

Risks and prevention of sexually transmissible infections among women who have sex with women

Ruth McNair
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The Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, 200 Berkeley St, Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia. Email: r.mcnair@unimelb.edu.au

Sexual Health 2(4) 209-217 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH04046
Submitted: 22 October 2004  Accepted: 28 June 2005   Published: 16 November 2005

Abstract

Health care providers working with women who have sex with women (WSW) have been ill-informed about a range of sexual health issues for these women. Pertinent issues include sexual behaviours that carry risks of sexually transmissible infection (STI), prevention strategies for safer sex and understanding experiences of abuse. A relative silence continues in all of these areas within the mainstream medical literature, textbooks, research and policy documents, which perpetuates medical ignorance. There is evidence that the prevalence of STIs among WSW is at least as high as among heterosexual women, if not higher among some sub-groups. Risk factors include the sex and number of sexual partners, minimal use of protected sexual behaviours and low levels of knowledge of STI prevention among WSW. Importantly, marginalisation leading to poorer mental health and experiences of abuse can combine to influence risk taking including substance abuse and risky sexual behaviours. Safe-sex guidelines and the need to recognise the impact of sexual abuse are presented.

Additional keywords: bisexual women, lesbian women, risk factors, safe sex, sexual abuse, sexually transmissible infections.


References


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