New studies released by the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales reveal both good and bad news. Of most concern is the sharp increase in syphilis diagnoses among women, up 167% over the last decade; in addition to the damage this often asymptomatic or unnoticed disease can cause to an adult, it is also highly transmissible to unborn children. The good news is that STI infection rates among men who have sex with men, a particularly vulnerable population, are down, probably due to post-exposure prophylaxis with doxycycline. However, overuse of this drug does run the risk of creating antibiotic-resistant strains. Of continuing concern is the heightened risk of STI exposure among Australia’s aboriginal population, where chlamydia is 2.5X as common relative to the general population, gonorrhea 4X, and syphilis 6X. To put it in perspective, about 1-2% of young people in their 20s nationwide were diagnosed with a STI last year.
A separate study of Australia’s trans population showed improvement in their access to trans health care (55% compared to 36% in 2018). However, more than half report having experienced sexual violence (compared to 14% of the general population) and intimate partner violence. 64% reported condomless sex with casual partners, 34.3% recent anal sex, and 24.6% reported frequent drug use during sexual encounters, but only a third had been tested for STIs in the last 12 months, and among those who had, infection rates were higher than for cisgender people and were substantially higher than in 2018. Only 4% were currently on PrEP. This is of concern given the high rate of trans participation in sex work.
