Interim position statement on doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (Doxy-PEP) for the prevention of bacterial sexually transmissible infections in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand - the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM).

Recent studies have provided evidence for the effectiveness of using doxycycline (Doxy-PEP) to prevent bacterial sexually transmissible infections (STI), namely chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis, among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men who have experienced multiple STIs. However, there remain several unanswered questions around potential adverse outcomes from Doxy-PEP, including the possibility of inducing antimicrobial resistance in STIs and other organisms, and the possibility of disrupting the microbiome of people who choose to use Doxy-PEP. This interim position statement from the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine aims to outline the current evidence for Doxy-PEP, and to highlight potential adverse outcomes, to enable clinicians to conduct evidence-based conversations with patients in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand who intend to use Doxy-PEP.

Immediate and Ongoing Impact of COVID-19 on Chlamydia Treatment in Australia.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the sexual health and well-being of individuals, directly through risk of contracting COVID-19, and indirectly through government lockdowns. Government restrictions were especially strict and long-lasting in Australia, they also varied by state, offering an interesting opportunity to study the impacts of varying restrictions. This study compares the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting restrictions on chlamydia treatment prescriptions during 2020, through to July 2021 between different states and demographic groups in Australia. METHODS: The rate of prescriptions per 100,000 population filled each month from January 2017 to July 2021 from Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for Azithromycin with a restricted indication to treat Chlamydia trachomatis was used to measure chlamydia treatment. The impact of COVID-19 lockdowns was modeled using an interrupted time-series Poisson regression model. RESULTS: The data included 520,025 prescriptions to treat chlamydia, averaging 37.5 prescriptions per month per 100,000 population. Prescriptions declined 26% in April to May 2020 when initial COVID-19 lockdowns began in Australia; prescriptions increased in the following months but remained on average 21% below prepandemic (2017-2019) levels through to July 2021. Prescriptions declined the most in 1 Australian state, Victoria, both in the initial lockdown and the following period; generally, states with more COVID-19 cases saw bigger reductions in prescriptions. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to examine how treatment for chlamydia in Australia was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions not only in the immediate-term, but also ongoing up to July 2021, providing important information for planning for sexual health services in future pandemics.

Sexual and reproductive health knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of Chinese international students studying abroad (in Australia, the UK and the US): a scoping review.

International students within Australia are disproportionately affected by adverse sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes. Chinese international students represent the majority of international students in Australia, and a large proportion of students in other high-income countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, making them an important priority group. However, the SRH issues of this priority group have received little attention from international researchers. This review provides an overview of global studies surrounding the SRH knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of Chinese international students studying abroad. Ten articles were deemed relevant and findings from both the qualitative and quantitative data synthesis were categorised into six codes: (1) knowledge; (2) sources of information; (3) attitudes; (4) behaviours; (5) barriers; and (6) recommendations. The findings provide valuable understanding to inform the development of targeted, culturally sensitive and inclusive health promotion initiatives and policies. It is recommended that further research is conducted in this field to reduce evident health disparities.