Australian sexually transmitted infection (STI) management guidelines for use in primary care 2022 update
Jason J. Ong
A B C * , Christopher Bourne D E , Judith A. Dean F , Nathan Ryder D G , Vincent J. Cornelisse H I , Sally Murray J , Penny Kenchington K , Amy Moten L , Courtney Gibbs M , Sarah Maunsell M , Tyler Davis M , Jessica Michaels M and Nicholas A. Medland B I
A Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.
B Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.
C Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
D Centre for Population Health, New South Wales Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
E Sydney Sexual Health Centre, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
F School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston, Qld, Australia.
G HNE Sexual Health, Hunter New England Health District, New Lambton, NSW, Australia.
H Kirketon Road Centre, New South Wales Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
I The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales Sydney, Kensington, NSW, Australia.
J South Terrace Clinic, Fremantle and Fiona Stanley Hospitals, Fremantle, WA, Australia.
K Townsville Sexual Health Service, Queensland Health, Townsville, Qld, Australia.
L Shine SA, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
M ASHM, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Sexual Health 20(1) 1-8 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH22134
Submitted: 16 August 2022 Accepted: 15 October 2022 Published: 11 November 2022
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
Abstract
The ‘Australian Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Management Guidelines For Use In Primary Care’ (www.sti.guidelines.org.au) provide evidence-based, up-to-date guidance targeted at use in primary care settings. A major review of the guidelines was undertaken in 2020–22. All content was reviewed and updated by a multi-disciplinary group of clinical and non-clinical experts, and assessed for appropriateness of recommendations for key affected populations and organisational and jurisdictional suitability. The guidelines are divided into six main sections: (1) standard asymptomatic check-up; (2) sexual history; (3) contact tracing; (4) STIs and infections associated with sex; (5) STI syndromes; and (6) populations and situations. This paper highlights important aspects of the guidelines and provides the rationale for significant changes made during this major review process.
Keywords: chlamydia, gonorrhoea, guidelines, HIV testing, management, primary care, sexually transmitted infections, syphilis.
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