Increasing awareness of sexually transmitted infections (STI) testing and addressing stigma may improve STI testing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth: Evidence from the Next Generation Youth Wellbeing Study

Tabassum Rahman; Fabian Yuh Shiong Kong; Robyn Williams; Katiska Davis; Justine Whitby; Francine Eades; Simon Graham; Grace Joshy; Sandra Eades

doi:10.1016/j.anzjph.2024.100203

Increasing awareness of sexually transmitted infections (STI) testing and addressing stigma may improve STI testing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth: Evidence from the Next Generation Youth Wellbeing Study

Aust N Z J Public Health. 2024 Nov 16;48(6):100203. doi: 10.1016/j.anzjph.2024.100203. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Tabassum Rahman¹, Fabian Yuh Shiong Kong², Robyn Williams³, Katiska Davis², Justine Whitby², Francine Eades⁴, Simon Graham⁵, Grace Joshy⁶, Sandra Eades²

Affiliations

¹ The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3053, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
² The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3053, Australia.
³ Curtin University, Western Australia 6102, Australia.
⁴ East Metropolitan Health Service, Western Australia 6000, Australia.
⁵ Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2050, Australia.
⁶ The Australian National University, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia.

PMID: 39550915
DOI: 10.1016/j.anzjph.2024.100203

Abstract

Objective: To quantify the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) testing in relation to sociodemographic, behavioural, and health related factors, and patterns in sexual health service (SHS) use and non-use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter Aboriginal) youth.

Methods: The analyses included N=198 sexually active 16-24-year-olds from Central Australia, Western Australia, and New South Wales participating in the Next Generation Youth Wellbeing Study. Modified Poisson regression estimated age-sex-adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) for ever testing for STIs.

Results: Approximately 55% of the participants ever tested for STIs. Over 44% of the participants ever accessed SHS; perceived irrelevance (50%) and embarrassment (15%) were the main reasons for not accessing SHS. STI testing was higher among: 21-24-year-olds (68.75% vs 37.04% among 16-17-year-olds, PR: 1.82; confidence interval 1.23-2.67); those with high/very-high psychological distress (63.39% vs 44.55% among low/moderate group, 1.50;1.16-1.94); and those who lived in ≥3 houses in the past five years (65.43% vs 48.11% among those who lived in 1-2 houses, 1.33;1.04-1.70).

Conclusions: STI testing should be offered to sexually active Aboriginal youth at every opportunity.

Implications for public health: Sexual health messages should further promote the benefit of regular STI testing and where to access free SHS among Aboriginal youth.

Keywords: Aboriginal; Australia; STI testing; youth.