Sexual Health Services Review and Response
At the request of the South Australian Sexually Transmissible Infection and Blood Borne Virus Advisory Committee (SASBAC), SA Health commissioned the South Australian Sexual Health Services Review (PDF 2822KB).
The intent of this independent report was to understand the effectiveness of the existing sexual health services system in SA, and to inform modernisation of this system.
Sexual Health Services Review
The Review looked at:
- Increasing rates of syphilis and other notifiable STI (and related disease burden) both in SA and nationally over the past decade, which disproportionately affects some groups.
- Evidence that improving access to sexual health care and reducing time from STI acquisition to effective treatment is the most impactful and viable prevention strategy to address these trends.
- Increasing challenges to accessing sexual health care across specialist and primary care settings.
- Existing barriers to accessing sexual health care were compounded during COVID-19. Reductions in testing during the period 2020-2022 have prompted concerns about levels of undiagnosed, untreated STI circulating in the community, and potential for further increases in transmission and complications associated with delayed diagnosis and treatment.
Department for Health and Wellbeing Response
SA Health has released the Department for Health and Wellbeing Response to the SA Sexual Health Services Review (PDF 1207KB), our plan for strengthening the sexual health services system and improving sexual health outcomes for South Australians, aligned with the Review recommendations.
This report describes governance arrangements, prioritisation, and other key considerations for progressing the recommendations outlined in the Review.