2024/11/16 by Tabassum Rahman, Fabian Yuh Shiong Kong, Robyn Williams +6 · 1 voice
Health Professions · Immunology and Microbiology · Social Sciences · #Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health #Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights #Reproductive tract infections research
paper · doi:10.1016/j.anzjph.2024.100203
openalex publication_date 2024/11/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
OBJECTIVE: To quantify the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) testing in relation to sociodemographic, behavioural, and health related factors, and patterns in sexual health service (SHS) use and non-use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter Aboriginal) youth. METHODS: The analyses included N=198 sexually active 16-24-year-olds from Central Australia, Western Australia, and New South Wales participating in the Next Generation Youth Wellbeing Study. Modified Poisson regression estimated age-sex-adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) for ever testing for STIs. RESULTS: Approximately 55% of the participants ever tested for STIs. Over 44% of the participants ever accessed SHS; perceived irrelevance (50%) and embarrassment (15%) were the main reasons for not accessing SHS. STI testing was higher among: 21-24-year-olds (68.75% vs 37.04% among 16-17-year-olds, PR: 1.82; confidence interval 1.23-2.67); those with high/very-high psychological distress (63.39% vs 44.55% among low/moderate group, 1.50;1.16-1.94); and those who lived in ≥3 houses in the past five years (65.43% vs 48.11% among those who lived in 1-2 houses, 1.33;1.04-1.70). CONCLUSIONS: STI testing should be offered to sexually active Aboriginal youth at every opportunity. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: Sexual health messages should further promote the benefit of regular STI testing and where to access free SHS among Aboriginal youth.