Frequently asked questions
What do we know about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among Indigenous people?
- What are STIs? (June 2003)
- What do we know about STIs among Indigenous people? (June 2003)
For more detailed information about STIs among Indigenous Australians view the HealthInfoNet Sexual health webpage
| Please reference this document as: Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet (2003) Frequently asked questions: what do we know about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among Indigenous people? Retrieved [access date] http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/html/html_keyfacts/faq/faq_specific_health/stis.htm |
What do we know about STIs among Indigenous people?
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are spread by heterosexual or homosexual contact with an infected person [1]. Most cases are found among sexually active teenagers and young adults. A wide range of infections can be transmitted through sexual contact, but those most recognised as STIs include gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, chlamydia, human papilloma virus (HPV), genital herpes, donovanosis, lymphogranuloma venereum and chancroid. The two most common STIs in Australia are believed to be HPV and genital herpes, but it is difficult to monitor their occurrence as they are not notifiable diseases [2].
Many STIs can result in significant morbidity and mortality, particularly among women. If diagnosed early, most STIs can be effectively treated. If left untreated they may lead to cancer, pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, infertility, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, and low birthweight for infants.
Evidence suggests that STIs facilitate the transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is for this reason that STI control is now receiving higher priority worldwide.
What do we know about STIs among Indigenous people? (June 2003)
Much higher rates of notification of STIs occur among Indigenous than non-Indigenous people [3]. (Some caution should be exercised in the interpretation of notification rates, which are known to be incomplete for STIs. There is some evidence that, unlike most other health-related collections, the notification of STIs is more complete for Indigenous than non-Indigenous people.) Some STIs, particularly donovanosis, occur predominantly among Indigenous people, but there were only 34 cases notified in Queensland, WA and the NT in 2001 [3]. Notifications have been declining - probably due largely to the introduction of treatment with azithromycin and dedicated donovanosis management [4].
The notification rates for important bacterial STIs were substantially higher in 2001 among Indigenous people than among non-Indigenous people:
Gonorrhoea: 2,141 cases (1,290 cases per 100,000 population) of gonorrhoea were notified for the Indigenous population in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory combined , compared with 859 cases (25 per 100,000) for the non-Indigenous population [3].
Syphilis: the notification rate for Indigenous people living in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory combined was 394 cases per 100,000 population (based on 509 cases notified) and the rate for non-Indigenous people was 4 per 100,000 (134 cases notified) [3].
Chlamydia: the notification rate for chlamydia was 880 per 100,000 (1,524 cases) for the Indigenous population living in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory combined, and 117 per 100,000 (3,915 cases) for the non-Indigenous population [3].
References
1 Holmes K, Sparling P, Mardh P-A, Lemon S, Stamm
W, Piot P, Wasserheit J eds. (1999) Sexually transmitted diseases.
Third ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, Health Professions Division
2 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2002)
Australia's health 2002: the eighth biennial report of the Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare. Canberra, Australian Institute
of Health and Welfare
3 National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical
Research (2002) HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible
infections in Australia annual surveillance report 2002. Sydney:
National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research
4 Miller P (2001) Donovanosis control or eradication?
Canberra: Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
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