C K Fairley

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..Our aim was to review the evidence for specific interventions aimed at increasing chlamydia screening rates in primary care...

..We undertook a literature review to document the views, attitudes and opinions of women about being screened, tested and diagnosed with Chlamydia trachomatis...

..The views of general practitioners (GPs) are necessary to inform the design of the program. This paper aimed to investigate Australian GPs' views on how chlamydia screening could work in the Australian context...

..To determine whether chlamydia positivity among heterosexual men (MSW) and chlamydia and gonorrhea positivity among men who have sex with men (MSM), are changing...

..We aimed to determine the incidence of Hepatitis C (HCV) infection among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) attending a Sexual Health Centre...

..Australia is developing a chlamydia screening program. This study aimed to determine the attitudes of young women to the introduction of chlamydia screening in Australian General Practice...

..This study aimed to determine if the Australian human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme has had a population impact on presentations of genital warts...

..However, if genital warts stabilise at a lower, but not very low, rate we will know that elimination will not be possible without vaccination of males...

..This review describes the published information on what constitutes the elements of a core sexual history and the use of computer-assisted self interviewing (CASI) within sexually transmitted disease clinics...

..Our aim was to determine if the use of suppressive treatment for genital herpes, the treatment of HIV or STI screening practices were different between states in Australia...

..To compare long-term adherence to antiretroviral therapy in an HIV service, as measured by self-report and by pharmacy records. To determine the level of adherence by each measure required to suppress viral load in a majority of patients...

..006), 2.9 (SD 0.9) and 3.3 (SD 0.8) respectively. This adherence package improved self reported adherence during the last four and seven days...

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..It is likely, however, that many services have changed their practices and evaluation of these changes could provide valuable data to improve the efficiency and hence improve STI control...

..Australia provided free quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccines to 12-18-year-old girls and women aged ≤26 years from mid-2007 until the end of 2009. After this time, only girls aged 12-13 years had access to free vaccines...

..To determine the prevalence and clinical associations of Mycoplasma genitalium in urethral, rectal and pharyngeal specimens collected from men who have sex with men (MSM) attending male-only saunas...

..Of the 21 infections identified, five cases were symptomatic. The incidence of rectal infections among MSM is high and prior RNg or RCt should be included as a risk factor for frequent screening...

..The clinical diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is subjective. Our aim was to determine if the pattern of diagnosis of PID among experienced clinicians varied compared with the diagnosis of genital warts...

..This method avoids the need for endocervical sampling and stringent criteria for transport...

..This study provides evidence for an express testing service for chlamydia to streamline the screening of low-risk, asymptomatic heterosexual patients as identified by CASI without the need to for a traditional face-to-face consultation...

..This study aimed to obtain detailed data on the frequency of sexual practices among men who had sex with men (MSM) at sex-on-premises venues (SOPV) and to compare this with their sexual practices outside SOPV...

..We found no evidence of waterborne disease in Melbourne. The application of this methodology to other water supplies will provide a better understanding of the relationship between human health and water quality...

..We investigated associations between Atopobium vaginae and bacterial vaginosis (BV) and the role that A. vaginae plays in recurrent BV after oral metronidazole therapy...

..They did not recommend asymptomatic screening for urethral gonorrhoea or pharyngeal screening for chlamydia. To determine if these guidelines were appropriate, we audited gonorrhoea and chlamydia testing of MSM at our Centre...

..To compare computer-assisted self-interview (CASI) with routine face-to-face interview (FTFI) for sexual history taking from patients in a clinical setting...

..09-2.11, P = 0.78). The use of an adherence intervention programme is associated with a decrease in mean viral load, which is in contrast to the control group that demonstrated an increase in viral load over time...

..These included Mycoplasma genitalium, herpes simplex virus, ureaplasma species, Trichomonas vaginalis and adenoviruses...

..Tampon-collected specimens tested by PCR were more sensitive than urine specimens for the detection of N. gonorrhoeae and T. vaginalis (P < 0.001) and equally sensitive for the detection of C. trachomatis (P=0.45)...

..001). Bacterial loads among men with symptomatic proctitis were strikingly high (median, 278,000 copies/swab)...

..03). Only a minority of MSM engaging in UAI were optimistic about antiretroviral therapy. The study participants were in general pessimistic about life with HIV/AIDS despite their risk-taking sexual behaviour...

..Microscopy of the urethral smear to diagnose urethritis in this population does not help to identify which men with urethral symptoms require treatment for chlamydia...

..The aim of this study was to quantify the resources and opportunities lost from this screening...

..To determine the risk factors associated with chlamydial infection in pregnancy and the sensitivity and specificity of these when used for selective screening...

..gonorrhoeae from N. meningitidis present in some of the samples. PCR ELISA is a rapid, relatively inexpensive and alternative molecular typing method for N. gonorrhoeae, suitable for use in conjunction with molecular diagnostic tests...

..The currently used method (doctor's letter) is not the preferred choice of these clients and more innovative methods using recent technology may prove more effective...

..If the HPV vaccine is targeted to MSM, the challenge will be for MSM to be vaccinated before they acquire HPV infection...

..4. Clients assessed as being at higher risk of acquiring a sexually transmitted infection were no more reluctant than others to provide their details using a computer-assisted self-interview...

..To describe an outbreak of Cryptosporidium gastroenteritis in a swimming pool in Melbourne in early 1998 that was not detected through routine surveillance, and discuss difficulties in identifying such outbreaks...

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..Our aim was to compare three different definitions of treatment failure and discuss their use as quality outcome measures for a clinical service...

..9 to 1.0, p < 0.001), 7 (3.0 to 1.8, p < 0.001) and 28 (7.4 to 4.2, p < 0.001) days and a decrease in the Morisky score, indicating an improvement in medication taking behaviour (1.3 to 0.5 p < 0.001)...

..Overall, MSM expressed a preference for rapid oral HIV testing and would test more frequently if testing was available for clinic or home use in Australia...

..The results reassure that when a female patient declines the offer of a chaperone within a sexual health clinic, the male practitioner can feel confident that this is the expression of the patient's wish...

..The results of this study indicate that providing a website with specific information about the infection to which a partner has been exposed is not harmful...

..To examine the characteristics and work attitudes of female sex workers working in licensed brothels in Victoria, Australia...

..CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that a 10-min questionnaire was associated with clients past non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy and may be useful for predicting future adherence...

..Our findings should complement the other reasons to adopt a WITS system, such as improving access for those most in need and vital to reach if STI rates are to fall...

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..Injecting drug users (IDUs) are a marginalised population, who infrequently access health services for screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and blood borne viruses (BBVs), and are at high risk of these infections...

..An increasing incidence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection would be expected to lead to a rise in the incidence of chlamydia related diseases...

..To describe the strategies adopted to maintain high level participation throughout a community based clinical trial, and the reasons given by participants for why they participated in the study...

..001) but more commonly used patient referral (41% MSM vs 9% non-MSM, P = 0.001). Of the 13 individuals found to be HIV-positive through contact tracing, nine (69%) were non-MSM...

..However, water treatment remains essential to protecting public health...

..This study aimed to estimate chlamydia prevalence and risk factors for infection and to assess the performance of chlamydia-selective screening criteria among clients attending a large sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic...

..The secondary aim was to test the acceptability of the tool among general practitioners and young people...

..To examine practices of general practitioners' (GPs) in relation to partner notification for chlamydia and identify the supports they would find most useful to assist them...

..Increasing HIV testing rates among high-risk groups require engagement not only of individuals at risk but also awareness among health-care providers who perform HIV testing...

..This research is important if we are to procure an evidence base for future contact tracing strategies rather than allowing these methods to become commonplace at the initiation of our clients...

..If early detection and treatment of syphilis is to be optimized in order to improve syphilis control, greater awareness of its symptoms and signs of syphilis need to be promoted among both health-care providers and affected communities...

..Adherence can be improved by addressing these issues or through other means such as pill boxes or electronic reminders...

..Frequent screening of sex workers will reduce the chance of workers passing on an STI but is expensive. However, it may also discourage women from joining the sex work system and push them into an illegal system with a worse outcome...

..To document the current practice of fellows of the Australasian College of Sexual Health Physicians (ACSHP) when taking a sexual history from a new client...

..8%. Thus, it is unlikely that asymptomatic people are an important reservoir for norovirus...

..To determine if general practitioners (GPs) would use chlamydia resources for partner notification (PN) when the address to a website was printed on positive results...

..checkyourrisk.org.au/), and to compare this with that of patients attending the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC) for the first time over the same 6-month period: January-June 2006...

..To examine the current practice and attitudes of Australian sexual health practitioners towards the use of chaperones for genital examinations...

..CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of a computer reminder for new guidelines was temporally associated with screening that conformed more closely to clinical guidelines...

..level of evidence: ii-2...

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..The Victorian NPEP Service in Australia attempted to replicate this study with the addition of HIV rapid testing and a mobile service...

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..To describe the level of activity, independence and demographics of elderly people hospitalised with community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia...

..44-2.05, P< or = 001). Although food-handling and storage practices are considered important, we were unable to detect an association in this study...

..To determine the attitudes of male and female patients to the use of chaperones during genital examination within a sexually transmitted diseases clinic...

..To investigate associations between the prevalence of sexual difficulties reported in published studies and design features of those studies to determine if differences in design contribute to variation in prevalence estimates...

..This experience places it in a strong position to design and implement an innovative chlamydia screening program to reduce chlamydia prevalence...

..trachomatis elsewhere. No significant genetic variants were found, as most variable positions were silent and were detected only in single samples...

..External genital warts are a common sexually transmitted viral disease. We describe the patterns of treatment for initial presentations of external genital warts (EGWs) in Australian sexual health centers...

..Although Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) and Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) are common infections in men who have sex with men, it is unclear from previous studies whether anorectal symptoms are reliable clinical indicators of infection...

..No previous population-based studies have used validated instruments to measure female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in Australian women across a broad age range...

..To describe the changes in notification rates for HIV, as a proportion of people living with HIV infection, in Australia...

..The aim of this trial was to determine the effectiveness of a computer alert in general practice on chlamydia testing in young women...

..To investigate the association of condom use with chlamydia infection in men attending a large sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic in Australia...

..On the basis of our evaluation, we have opted to continue the comprehensive STI/HIV testing programme in local men-only saunas...

..A wide range of prevalence estimates of female sexual dysfunctions (FSD) have been reported...

..Apart from the surface protein, intimin, no virulence determinant or phenotype was uniformly present in atypical EPEC strains. This study shows that atypical EPEC are an important cause of gastroenteritis in Melbourne...

..The aims of this paper are to describe the methods used to recruit and retain young women in a longitudinal study and to explore factors associated with loss to follow up...

..Differences in the determinants of Chlamydia trachomatis ('chlamydia') and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) genital infection in women are not well understood...

..Many recent studies have investigated the prevalence of female sexual difficulty/dysfunction...

..Increased understanding of this group should enable the development of programmes directed at morbidity and mortality...

..The findings of this study support the confident reporting of C. trachomatis detected by COBAS Amplicor in extragenital specimens and support the utility of this assay as a screening test for MSM...

..To determine whether a patient's responses to sensitive questions about their sexual behaviour are influenced by the sex of their treating practitioner...

..To investigate the association between HPV DNA detection and histological examination of tumor biopsies from women with cervical cancer...

..NLV G1 seasonality was significantly different from that of NLV G2. Seven major NLV clusters were identified by phylogenetic analysis...

..Testing within the framework of a national chlamydia screening programme may be a more cost-effective way of increasing chlamydia testing...

..6%, P < 0.01). Substantial differences in STI testing rates among HIV-positive MSM may exist between HIV clinical services depending on the measures in place that promote STI screening...

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..We discuss these issues in this paper in an effort to advance the debate and the introduction of chlamydia screening in Australia...

..Our aim was to determine whether the proportion of women testing positive for chlamydia had changed over time after adjusting for demographic, clinical, and sexual risk factors...